Mark Coester

Mark Coester

Republican Party

Candidate, U.S. House Vermont At-large District

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 3, 2026

Personal

Birthplace

Concord, Mass.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Business owner

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Personal YouTube

Mark Coester (Republican Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Vermont's At-Large Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.^[source]

Biography

Mark Coester was born in Concord, Massachusetts. His career experience includes working as a business owner.

Elections

2026

See also: United States House of Representatives election in Vermont, 2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. House Vermont At-large District

Incumbent Becca Balint, Mark Coester, and Andrew Giusto are running in the general election for U.S. House Vermont At-large District on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Becca Balint (D)
		Mark Coester (R)
	Submit photo	Andrew Giusto (Unity Party) (Write-in)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Endorsements

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2024

See also: United States House of Representatives election in Vermont, 2024

Vermont's At-Large Congressional District election, 2024 (August 13 Democratic primary)

Vermont's At-Large Congressional District election, 2024 (August 13 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Vermont At-large District

Incumbent Becca Balint defeated Mark Coester, Adam Ortiz, and Jessica Diamondstone in the general election for U.S. House Vermont At-large District on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Becca Balint (D)	62.3	218,398
		Mark Coester (R / L)	29.8	104,451
		Adam Ortiz (Independent)	5.5	19,286
		Jessica Diamondstone (Green Mountain Peace and Justice Party of Vermont)	2.2	7,552
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	929

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 350,616
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Vermont At-large District

Incumbent Becca Balint advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Vermont At-large District on August 13, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Becca Balint	99.0	47,638
		Other/Write-in votes	1.0	465

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 48,103
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Vermont At-large District

Mark Coester advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Vermont At-large District on August 13, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Coester	97.2	19,459
		Other/Write-in votes	2.8	551

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 20,010
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Coester in this election.

Pledges

Coester signed the following pledges.

• U.S. Term Limits

2022

U.S. Senate

See also: United States Senate election in Vermont, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Vermont

The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. Senate Vermont on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Peter Welch (D)	68.5	196,575
		Gerald Malloy (R)	28.0	80,468
		Dawn Ellis (Independent)	1.0	2,752
	Submit photo	Natasha Diamondstone-Kohout (Green Mountain Peace and Justice Party of Vermont)	0.5	1,574
		Kerry Patrick Raheb (Independent)	0.5	1,532
		Mark Coester (Independent)	0.4	1,273
	Submit photo	Stephen Duke (Independent)	0.4	1,209
		Cris Ericson (Independent)	0.4	1,105
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	612

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 287,100
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Brock Pierce (Independent)
• Martha Abbott (Vermont Progressive Party)
• Christopher Helali (Communist Party)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Vermont

Peter Welch defeated Isaac Evans-Frantz and Niki Thran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Vermont on August 9, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Peter Welch	87.0	86,603
		Isaac Evans-Frantz	7.3	7,230
		Niki Thran	5.1	5,104
		Other/Write-in votes	0.6	599

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 99,536
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Folasade Adeluola (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Vermont

Gerald Malloy defeated Christina Nolan and Myers Mermel in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Vermont on August 9, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Gerald Malloy	42.4	12,169
		Christina Nolan	37.7	10,825
		Myers Mermel	18.2	5,227
		Other/Write-in votes	1.7	489

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 28,710
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Justin Tuthill (R)

Vermont Progressive Party primary election

Vermont Progressive Party primary for U.S. Senate Vermont

Martha Abbott advanced from the Vermont Progressive Party primary for U.S. Senate Vermont on August 9, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Martha Abbott	86.6	473
		Other/Write-in votes	13.4	73

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 546
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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State Senate

See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2022

General election

General election for Vermont State Senate Windham District (2 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for Vermont State Senate Windham District on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Wendy Harrison (D)	34.2	10,968
✔		Nader Hashim (D)	31.2	9,997
		Tim Wessel (Independent)	11.5	3,677
		Richard Morton (R)	10.1	3,249
	Submit photo	Richard Kenyon (R)	9.6	3,082
		Mark Coester (Independent)	3.2	1,036
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	42

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 32,051
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Vermont State Senate Windham District (2 seats)

Nader Hashim and Wendy Harrison defeated Wichie Artu in the Democratic primary for Vermont State Senate Windham District on August 9, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Nader Hashim	40.3	4,684
✔		Wendy Harrison	36.7	4,262
		Wichie Artu	22.8	2,650
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	28

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,624
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Vermont State Senate Windham District (2 seats)

Mark Coester and Richard Kenyon defeated Richard Morton in the Republican primary for Vermont State Senate Windham District on August 9, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Coester	32.9	542
✔	Submit photo	Richard Kenyon	32.8	539
		Richard Morton	32.1	528
		Other/Write-in votes	2.2	36

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,645
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Mark Coester has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. If you are Mark Coester, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate's Ballotpedia profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for.  More than 22,000 candidates have taken Ballotpedia's candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here.

You can ask Mark Coester to fill out this survey by using the button below.

2024

Mark Coester completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Coester's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a Republican / Male , living in Vermont for 51 years now , I was Born in Concord , Mass. moved to Vermont in 1972 . There are so many wonders and good things about our State that I have experienced first hand in 1/2 a Century along with a decline of vitality in many of our comunities .

Having had the opportunity to travle to 48 of our 50 States of this Great Nation ,meeting people from all walks of life . Experiencing first hand much that is beyond the imagination , this has given me a strong sense of America and our beloved U.S.A . International experiences began for me at the age of 15 , as my Father began to teach me more about the world. Since those times I sought out history , culture old and new in 20+ nations again connecting with citizens from all walks of life .

It is my strong opinion that the U.S. Constitution , the Bill of Rights and Love of our Country is the one thing that binds us together as Americans . While many believe the American Revolution began with the Battle of Lexington and Concord , ( where I was Born ) a little know battle called the Westminster Massacre in southern Vermont is more likely the first blood shed 2 months prior to the Battle of Lexington and Concord . 500 citizens rallied the day after that event to arrest the Judges and officials of King Georges Courts , never again to hold court in my County . Almost daily I drive by that Monument .

Lastly , I am not a Politition , I am a Citizen of America and Vermont.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• As a Candidate upon winning an election is bound to swear an Oath the Constitution.

  it is most important to uphold that Oath.

  The second paragraph of the United States Declaration of Independence starts: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

  No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
• As I myself am a Student of life , Education is very important to me . Without some long diatribe in to current problems , I remain stedfast in the need for core curriculum for our young upcoming citizens that encourages independent study outside of classrooms and the re introduction of Civics and Citizenship in to core curriculum . Recalling , Abrham Lincoln was in fact self educated with only a third grade education yet became one of our most respected Presidents . America can do better with education for the children . It is frustrating to say the least, that many after 12 years of education read and write at a 3 grade level . let us not forget Fredric Douglass , an escaped slave that became an Advisor to 6 Presidents.
• To serve ones State or our fine nation is a gift , a blessing from our Citizens . Let us have Term Limits for all elected representatives . George Washington begins his address by explaining his decision to not seek a third term as president. He had hoped to retire after his first term, he says, but for the “critical posture of our affairs with foreign nations, and the unanimous advice of persons entitled to my confidence impelled me to abandon the idea.” Career Polititions seem to be out of touch with citizens and the realities most face in every day life . Not every person elected will be perfect , we are not God . Each elected should do their very best , then move on . let us not be so far removed from Reality .

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Following the Constitution .

Torte Law ( Case Law ) <> Constitutional law , should be closely examined by citizens .

Immigration .
The United States has Immigration laws in place that should be followed. ( Secure Borders )

Smaller Government .
Transparency and accountability are critical to public trust . ( Reduce Taxes )
One topic one bill , eliminate pork .

Quality Education .
Encourage excellence to continue to grow beyond the clasroom ( Affordable Education )

Civics and Citizenship.
Let us not be engaged in governing for personal partisan agendas , but for the best intrests and rights of our fellow citizens . ( Term Limits )

Slavery .

The slavery of humans exists in America . ( End Human Trafficking )

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

God , Jesus Christ , and My Grandfathers from both sides of the Ocean

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

First and foremost , honesty . To be able to admit ( I don't Know ) but I will do my best to find out and do my due dillegence .

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

A respect and love of Humanity in General

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To uphold the Constitution .
"I, AB, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."

What legacy would you like to leave?

Critical thinking and Dicernment

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Apollo 11

Neil Armstrong exited the spacecraft and became the first human to walk on the moon. As an estimated 650 million people watched, Armstrong proclaimed "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

This story on the solar eclipse of March 7, 1970, was published in the Sunday Telegram of March 8, 1970. It describes a viewing event at the Worcester Science Center, now the EcoTarium. There was little traffic in the city yesterday during the solar eclipse. As the sky darkened, everything seemed to quiet down.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Self Employed , for 3 years beginning at 10 years old .

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The U.S. House of Representatives a unique set of powers in the federal government, embodying the framers' intent to make it uniquely responsive to the will of the people.

The House has several powers assigned exclusively to it, including the power to initiate revenue bills, impeach federal officials, and elect the President in the case of an Electoral College tie.

Also the U.S. House has the power to declare war , or not . ( NOT ) being my prefrence

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

No

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Unification of citizens of The United States of America as one nation

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Yes , across the board all the way down to the towns as well as every government agency

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Calvin Coolidge

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Yes , compromise is necessary as long as it does not fall outside of up holding the oath and remains in the best interests of the Citizens of the United States

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

Vermont is likely to be in trouble finantially for numerous reasons not whole within our control , with financial transparency and government accountability I would like to see my state get back on its feet and be able to cover its own expenses with buisness ,industry and ingenuity as was once a norm for the northern industrious people .

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

Thoroughly in a truthfull and non partisan manner.

What committees interest you?

Agriculture.

Appropriations.
Armed Services.
Education and the Workforce.

Energy and Commerce.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

This is no joke .

Lack of financial transparency and government accountability is one of the main reasons citizens on both sides of the political spectrum do not trust the Government nor politicians of either party . General transparency goes far beyond that , while certain things do require a security clearence for reasons of national security .

For the most part the smoke and mirrors game should end for much more than just finantial transparency

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Coester’s campaign website stated the following:

“	SECURING OUR BORDER Mark Coester firmly believes that the United States must enforce its existing immigration laws to ensure national security and economic stability. He advocates for a robust and secure border, emphasizing that lawful entry is essential to maintaining the integrity and sovereignty of the nation. SMALL GOVERNMENT Mark Coester is committed to reducing taxes and promoting smaller government, emphasizing the importance of transparency and accountability to restore public trust. He advocates for a "one topic, one bill" approach to eliminate pork-barrel spending and ensure that legislation serves the people's best interests. QUALITY AFFORDABLE EDUCATION Mark Coester champions quality, affordable education with a strong emphasis on educational freedom and parental rights. He believes in encouraging excellence that extends beyond the classroom, ensuring parents have a say in their children's education and fostering an environment where students can thrive. CIVICS AND CITIZENSHIP Mark Coester believes in prioritizing civics and citizenship by governing not for personal partisan agendas, but for the best interests and rights of all citizens. He is dedicated to fostering a political environment where the focus is on serving the community and upholding democratic values. END SLAVERY The slavery of humans exists in America. We MUST END Human Trafficking!	”
—Mark Coester’s campaign website (2024)

2022

Mark Coester did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Coester's campaign website stated the following:

“	Along with the original Constitution I propose the following: Support our Veterans Voter ID Only Citizens Vote Serial Numbered & Noncounterfeitable Ballots Border-Finish the Wall and Secure All Borders Accountability for the Military Complex Around the World The United States Government Should be Operated by the US Treasury Alone Term Limits for All Elected Positions – Municipal, State & Federal Pro Life, the Right to Try, and Medical Freedom Remove Immunity for Politicians Restore Common Sense Farmer logic Straight forward Media Propaganda Must End No More Big Tech Censorship One Bill One Issue No Pork Packing Campaign Finance Reform – No More Dark Money Common Law Repeal the Act of 1871 Take Down the Georgia Guide Stones Expose Globalist Politicians and Put America First Life Sentence for 2nd Offense Pedophilia Ban Critical Race Theory Ban Grooming in Schools End All Markets for Aborted Baby Body Parts End Liability Exemptions on Pharmaceuticals and Vaccines End Insider Trading by All Elected Government Officials No Mandates Ever Immediate Removal of Politicians Who Violate Their Oath of Office. Bring Back Prayer in Public Schools. Bring Back the Pledge of Allegiance to Public Schools Only Fly the American Flag and the State Flag at Schools and Public Buildings End Males in Women’s Sports End Non Gender Rest Rooms in Schools End All Illegal Drug Trade School Choice End Lobbyist Backroom Money Deals Unelected Officials should have No Control Over the People End Money Laundering Through Non-Profits Stop the Funding of NATO, United Nations and the World Health Organization	”
—Mark Coester's campaign website (2022)

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Mark Coester campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2026*	U.S. House Vermont At-large District	Candidacy Declared general	$3,980	$5,817
2024*	U.S. House Vermont At-large District	Lost general	$191,333	$177,589
2022	U.S. Senate Vermont	Lost general	$11,471	$9,394
2022	Vermont State Senate Windham District	Lost general	$0	$0
Grand total			$206,785	$192,800
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

See also

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Candidate

U.S. House Vermont At-large District

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Footnotes

[show]

Vermont's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Bernie Sanders (I)

Peter Welch (D)

Representatives

Becca Balint (D)

Democratic Party (2)

Independent (1)