Political Novice Susan Davis

Beats All Candidates in Or.-1

One of the biggest electoral surprises in Vermont Tuesday came when Republican Sylvia Kennedy was voted out of her position as state representative by political newcomer Susan Hatch Davis of Washington, who ran as a Progressive and Democrat.

Davis, who had never been elected to any political office previously, had the highest vote total of the four candidates running for the two House seats.

She ended the day with 1645 votes, winning three of the six towns in the district—Corinth, Vershire and Washington, and staying close in the other three.

Veteran legislator Phil Winters claimed the second seat with 1624 votes, thanks to a 300-vote plurality in his hometown of Williamstown.

That left Kennedy, who had served for six years, out of the running with 1481 votes. Julie Ann Thayer of Williamstown trailed with 1042.

Both Winters and Kennedy were caught by surprise by Davis' victory. "It was a complete shock to both Phil and me," Kennedy said. "We never had any indication she was working so hard at this."

Two very professional-looking mailings in the last month of the campaign were a sign, though, that Davis would be a force to reckon with.

"She was well-guided and informed," Kennedy reflected yesterday.

Her victory was not such a big surprise to Davis herself, however. She had spent door-to-door time in all six towns in the district and made a particular effort in Williamstown, campaigning on every road there.

"I thought that the average Vermonter, working class folks, don't have a strong enough voice in Montpelier," she said "My biggest thing was listening to them and that I could relate."

Davis has worked for the state since 1978, gradually moving up in the world of information technology, learning on the job as she went. She worked in the department of Information and Innovation after the Douglas Adminstration formed it four years ago, and is now director of systems security for the state.

She hopes she can land a committee assignment in the legislature that will take advantage of her technology knowledge.

Rep.Winters, who trailed badly in several towns, was saved by a 765-vote bonanza in Williamstown, 300 votes more than anyone else. He was grateful.

"Williamstown has been very kind to me over the years, and they were kind again," he said.

Kennedy was philosophical.

"It was my time to go," she said. "That's the way politics works."

She'll spend much more time now in her art studio and with her new 133-pound rescue dog.