Vermont State Senate Orange District
Vermont State Senate Orange District is represented by John Benson (R).
As of the 2020 Census, Vermont state senators represented an average of 21,450 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 21,011 residents.
About the office
Members of the Vermont State Senate serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Vermont legislators assume office the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January.
Qualifications
The Vermont Constitution states, "No person shall be elected a Representative or a Senator until the person has resided in this State two years, the last year of which shall be in the legislative district for which the person is elected."[1]
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2025[2] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $897.29/week during session | Members can receive $74/day for meals and $167/night for lodging |
Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the Vermont General Assembly, the governor must select a replacement to fill the vacant seat.
The governor must select a replacement that will serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. There are no deadlines set by statute on when a vacancy has to be filled.[3][4]
See sources: Vermont Const. Chap. 2, Art. 45, Vermont Stat. Ann. tit. 2, §4, and Vermont Stat. Ann. tit. 2, §9
District map
Redistricting
2020 redistricting cycle
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) signed H722 on April 6, 2022, enacting new legislative districts for the state House and Senate.[5] The Vermont House of Representatives voted 129-13 to advance the state legislative redistricting bill on March 16.[6] On March 25, the Vermont State Senate unanimously approved H722, sending it to Scott.[7] These maps took effect for Vermont's 2022 legislative elections.
How does redistricting in Vermont work? Because Vermont has only one congressional district, congressional redistricting is not necessary. The state legislature draws state legislative district lines with the assistance of an advisory commission. This advisory commission consists of the following members:[8]
- The governor appoints one member each from the state's political parties. To qualify for consideration in this context, a political party must have had "at least three state legislators for six of the previous 10 years."
- The chairs of the aforementioned political parties each appoint an additional member.
- The chief justice of the Vermont Supreme Court appoints the commission's chair.
Commissioners cannot be legislators, nor can they be employed by the legislature. The commission may make recommendations to the legislature, but these recommendations are non-binding.[8]
State law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and compact and that they "adhere to county and other political subdivision boundaries, except where necessary to comply with other legal requirements." In addition, state statutes specify that districts should account for "patterns of geography, social interaction, trade, political ties, and common interests."[8]
Vermont State Senate Orange District
until January 3, 2023
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Vermont State Senate Orange District
starting January 4, 2023
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Elections
2026
See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2026
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
2024
See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for Vermont State Senate Orange District
Larry Hart Sr. defeated incumbent Mark MacDonald in the general election for Vermont State Senate Orange District on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Larry Hart Sr. (R) | 56.5 | 7,218 |
 | Mark MacDonald (D) | 43.1 | 5,512 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.4 | 46 | ||
| Total votes: 12,776 | |||
 = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Vermont State Senate Orange District
Incumbent Mark MacDonald advanced from the Democratic primary for Vermont State Senate Orange District on August 13, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mark MacDonald | 96.3 | 1,051 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 3.7 | 40 | ||
| Total votes: 1,091 | |||
| = 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 Orange District
Larry Hart Sr. advanced from the Republican primary for Vermont State Senate Orange District on August 13, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Larry Hart Sr. | 99.4 | 790 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.6 | 5 | ||
| Total votes: 795 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2022
- See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Vermont State Senate Orange District
Incumbent Mark MacDonald defeated John Klar in the general election for Vermont State Senate Orange District on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mark MacDonald (D) | 55.5 | 5,685 |
 | John Klar (R) | 44.1 | 4,519 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.4 | 40 | ||
| Total votes: 10,244 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Vermont State Senate Orange District
Incumbent Mark MacDonald advanced from the Democratic primary for Vermont State Senate Orange District on August 9, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mark MacDonald | 97.1 | 2,588 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 2.9 | 78 | ||
| Total votes: 2,666 | |||
| = 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 Orange District
John Klar advanced from the Republican primary for Vermont State Senate Orange District on August 9, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Klar | 97.7 | 970 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 2.3 | 23 | ||
| Total votes: 993 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2020
- See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for Vermont State Senate Orange District
Incumbent Mark MacDonald defeated Bill Huff in the general election for Vermont State Senate Orange District on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mark MacDonald (D) | 54.5 | 6,420 |
| Bill Huff (R) | 45.2 | 5,321 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 33 | ||
| Total votes: 11,774 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Vermont State Senate Orange District
Incumbent Mark MacDonald defeated Susan Hatch Davis in the Democratic primary for Vermont State Senate Orange District on August 11, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mark MacDonald | 63.2 | 2,168 |
 | Susan Hatch Davis | 36.0 | 1,233 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.8 | 28 | ||
| Total votes: 3,429 | |||
| = 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 Orange District
Bill Huff advanced from the Republican primary for Vermont State Senate Orange District on August 11, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Bill Huff | 97.8 | 1,780 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 2.2 | 40 | ||
| Total votes: 1,820 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2018
- See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Vermont State Senate Orange District
Incumbent Mark MacDonald defeated Bill Huff in the general election for Vermont State Senate Orange District on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mark MacDonald (D) | 57.3 | 5,167 |
| Bill Huff (R) | 42.6 | 3,842 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 11 | ||
| Total votes: 9,020 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Vermont State Senate Orange District
Incumbent Mark MacDonald advanced from the Democratic primary for Vermont State Senate Orange District on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mark MacDonald | 100.0 | 1,750 |
| Total votes: 1,750 | |||
| = 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 Orange District
Bill Huff advanced from the Republican primary for Vermont State Senate Orange District on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Bill Huff | 100.0 | 1,002 | |
| Total votes: 1,002 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2016
- See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2016
Elections for the Vermont State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 9, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was May 26, 2016.
Incumbent Mark MacDonald defeated Stephen Webster in the Vermont State Senate Orange District general election.[9][10]
| Vermont State Senate, Orange District General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Mark MacDonald Incumbent |
56.48% | 5,723 | |
| Republican | Stephen Webster | 43.52% | 4,409 | |
| Total Votes | 10,132 | |||
| Source: Vermont Secretary of State | ||||
Incumbent Mark MacDonald ran unopposed in the Vermont State Senate Orange District Democratic primary.[11][12]
| Vermont State Senate, Orange District Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Mark MacDonald Incumbent (unopposed) | |
Stephen Webster ran unopposed in the Vermont State Senate Orange District Republican primary.[11][12]
| Vermont State Senate, Orange District Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Stephen Webster (unopposed) | |
2014
- See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2014
Elections for the Vermont State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 26, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 12, 2014. Incumbent Mark MacDonald was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Robert Frenier is unopposed in the Republican primary. MacDonald defeated Frenier in the general election.[13]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mark A. MacDonald Incumbent |
54.3% | 3,797 | |
| Republican | Robert C. Frenier | 45.7% | 3,200 | |
| Total Votes | 6,997 | |||
2012
- See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2012
Elections for the office of Vermont State Senate consisted of a primary election on August 28, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. Democratic incumbent Mark MacDonald was unchallenged in the general election. MacDonald defeated Tig Tillinghast in the Democratic primary election.[14][15][16][17]
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Mark MacDonald Incumbent |
71.8% | 1,708 |
| Tig Tillinghast | 28.2% | 671 |
| Total Votes | 2,379 | |
Campaign contributions
From 2000 to 2024, candidates for Vermont State Senate Orange District raised a total of $279,121. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $11,165 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money
| Campaign contributions, Vermont State Senate Orange District | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average |
| 2024 | $43,391 | 2 | $21,695 |
| 2022 | $53,167 | 2 | $26,584 |
| 2020 | $18,139 | 2 | $9,070 |
| 2016 | $8,497 | 2 | $4,249 |
| 2014 | $25,590 | 2 | $12,795 |
| 2012 | $22,810 | 2 | $11,405 |
| 2010 | $4,128 | 2 | $2,064 |
| 2008 | $1,925 | 1 | $1,925 |
| 2006 | $13,211 | 2 | $6,606 |
| 2004 | $14,226 | 2 | $7,113 |
| 2002 | $34,743 | 2 | $17,372 |
| 2000 | $39,294 | 4 | $9,824 |
| Total | $279,121 | 25 | $11,165 |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Vermont Constitution, "Chapter II, Section 15," accessed May 23, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2025 Legislator Compensation," December 2, 2025
- ↑ Legislative Council of the General Assembly for the State of Vermont, "Vermont Statutes Unannotated and Vermont Court Rules," accessed February 3, 2021 (Statute, 2-1-4, Vermont Statutes)
- ↑ Legislative Council of the General Assembly for the State of Vermont, "Vermont Statutes Unannotated and Vermont Court Rules," accessed February 3, 2021 (Statute, 2-1-9, Vermont Statutes)
- ↑ VTDigger, "Scott signs new legislative maps into law, solidifying Vermont’s political playing field for next decade," April 6, 2022
- ↑ VTDigger, "House advances redistricting bill by a wide margin," March 16, 2022
- ↑ VTDigger, "Senate unanimously approves new district maps with little debate," March 25, 2022
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 All About Redistricting, "Vermont," accessed April 22, 2015
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State, "Candidate listings," accessed November 4, 2016
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State, "2016 general election results," accessed November 28, 2016
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Vermont Secretary of State, "Qualified candidates for the statewide primary - August 9, 2016," accessed May 26, 2016
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Vermont Secretary of State, "Vermont Election Night Results," accessed August 9, 2016
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State, "2014 Candidate Listing," June 13, 2014
- ↑ Vermont Elections, 2012 General Election Results, accessed October 23, 2013
- ↑ Vermont Elections, Official Primary Election Results, accessed October 23, 2013
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State, Major party primary candidate list, accessed October 23, 2013
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State, 2012 draft, independent, and minor party candidate list, accessed October 23, 2013
