October 7th, 2026 Len’s Political Note #845 Sweep Northern New England, Add Amanda Janoo Vermont Governor
2026 General Election
In a state dominated by progressive Democrats, Vermonters keep electing Republican Phil Scott as their governor. Do they feel they need a tough, but reasonable daddy to make sure the progressives don’t take them off the rails?
In character, Phil Scott has announced that the budget will be tough this year. On the other hand, perhaps feeling some heat as he seeks a sixth term (like New Hampshire, Vermont governors have 2-year terms), he has announced he is a progressive. Perhaps he sees a little trouble ahead.
Amanda Janoo is a graduate of Macalester College in Minnesota and has an M Phil from Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. She is a co-founder of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance of Vermont (WEAV) – an organization that has been in existence since 2022.
WEAV wants to create an economy that meets the needs of all people within the limits of what our planet can reasonably provide. They say their kind of economy requires a transformation of our current system. In the interconnected system they would create, they would solve the several crises we face – housing, income inequality, workforce development, climate change. They see would achieve their goals through conversation and, now that they have a serious candidate for governor, through elections.
Fund raising in Vermont even for governor is modest. On September 1, Phil Scott reported having $300,000. Amanda Janoo, had $60,000 though she had outraised the incumbent in August. In a September poll, Amanda Janoo led Phil Scott 49-43. In later Septembe, Phil Scott led 44-34. If you want Vermont to attempt Amanda Janoo’s experiment DONATE to her campaign, Depending on which poll is accurate, she might win.
THE BIG RACES IN THIS REGION ARE FOR THE US SENATE. THEY ARE CRUCIAL FOR THEIR HOME STATES AND FOR THE NATION
Maine: Former State Senate President Troy Jackson demonstrated remarkable organizational skills conquering the special convention after the initial Democratic nominee withdrew. Less charismatic and less problematic Troy Jackson is the Democratic nominee against Republican Incumbent Susan Collins. In election after election; in ordinary daily life in the US Senate, Susan Collins magically appears to be both a conservative Republican and a progressive who bucks the conservatives in her party including even the President. There are those who argue that she only bucks the conservatives when she has permission and when her vote does not matter. Collins may have been damaged by the late September surprise report of her having been investigated by the FBI for exchanging votes for campaign cash. Vulnerable or not, on June 30, Susan Collins reported having $11 million in hand for the balance of the campaign. That does not include outside funding for which there could be plenty. Troy Jackson’s funds and his outside support are not in her league. There are a slew of polls. Of the most recent polls, one is from the end of September, the others as from October. Collins 46-44, Jackson 50-47, Jackson 52-48, and the final two are EVEN, one at 50 and the other at 46. This is an excruciatingly close race. Democrats need to flip four seats to gain control of the US Senate. Defeating Susan Collins is central to that effort. DONATE to Troy Jackson’s campaign. Help himwin and help the Democrats’ effort to gain control of the Senate. See Len’s Political Note #827
New Hampshire. Congressman Chris Pappas is running to replace retiring Democrat Jeanne Shaheen. A gay man, he has represented New Hampshire in Congress as a moderate. He is opposed by former one-term US Senator John Sununu. Both candidates are deeply enmeshed in New Hampshire political history. The Pappas family’s restaurant, the Puritan Backroom, has been a center of Democratic politics in the state for decades. John Sununu’s brother Chris was a Governor of New Hampshire as was their father John. As of August 19, Chris Pappas had $4.3 million for his final push; John Sununu had $3.1 million. On September 14, a Republican pollster reported the race EVEN at 46%, Since then there have been four polls. Chris Pappas led in each of them: 48-40, 50-45, 50-42, and 47-41. (The last of these polls is also a product of a Republican pollster). Flipping the Senate requires the Democrats to hold the seats they have, like New Hampshire. Chris Pappas may look like he is pulling away, but this race is far from done. Help him bring this race home. DONATE to his campaign. See Len’s Political Note #743
THE OTHER TWO NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND STATES ALSO HAVE GUBERNATORIAL RACES.
Maine: Former House Speaker Democrat Hannah Pingree, whose mom is one of Maine’s Members of Congress, is opposed by Republican former US Assistant Secretary of State Bobby Charles and by independent former State Senator Rick Bennet. Hannah Pingree is leading in the money race. She reported in mid-September she had $1.2 million available, Bobby Charles had $400,000, and Rick Bennett had $90,000. Hannah Pingree is leading in the four available polls from September: 48-40, 47-34, 47-38, and 56-44. (The third of those polls was by a Republican pollster. If you feel she needs more help DONATE to Hannah Pingree’s campaign.
New Hampshire: Former Executive Councilor, previous candidate for governor Cinde Warmington is attempting to flip the governor’s seat and oust Republican incumbent Kelly Ayotte. Ayotte is a former state Attorney General (a position appointed by the Governor) and was a one term US Senator. Kelly Ayotte made her name as the prosecutor in high profile criminal cases and in an effort to enforce New Hampshire’s law that required notification of the parents of a minor who has an abortion. The criminal prosecutions were successful; the enforcement of the abortion law – less so. Cinde Warmington was an attorney and lobbyist who represented organizations that distributed Oxycontin and, perhaps as a consequence, has made a central theme of her candidacies a public effort to deal with the opioid epidemic. More progressive than Ayotte, Cinde Warmington has a focus on protecting the right to an abortion and addressing issues like housing and childcare. In July, Kelly Ayotte reported a substantial fund-raising lead over Cinde Warmington — $3.7 million to $600,000. Ayortte’s lead in September polls is pretty substantial as well: 55-34, 47-43, and 52-41. (The first of those polls was by a Republican pollster.). If you want to help Cinde Warmington you can DONATE to her campaign. See Len’s Political Note #822
COMPETITIVE CONGRESSIONAL RACES IN THE REGION
Maine 02. State Auditor Matt Dunlap disappointed the DCCC and other establishment Democrats by winning the primary to replace the retiring Jared Golden. Golden had been the most conservative Democrat in Congress. Trump carried Maine 02 by a larger margin than any congressional district with a Democratic Representative. The DCCC would have preferred a more conservative Democrat for this race. The Republicans had no primary. Former governor Paul LePage is their nominee. This is a man who declared himself to be Trump before there was Trump the politician. It is possible, that this is not the right year to “be” Trump. Three polls were reported in September and one was reported in October. . On September 15, a Democratic funded poll reported the race was a tie 47-47. On September 22, a Democratic poll reported LePage leading 49-48. On September 24, a neutral poll reported Matt Dunlap led 51-45. And on October 1 another Democratic poll reported Matt Dunlop’s lead to be 50-48. The financial race is not as close. On June 30, LePage had $1.9 million cash on hand; Matt Dunlap, after a tough primary, had $200,000. Matt Dunlap needs some support to finish as well as that last poll suggests he could. DONATE to his campaign. Keep this seat Democratic and flip the House of Representatives to the Democrats.
New Hampshire 01. Stefany Shaheen is the Democratic nominee to replace Chris Pappas in the House of Representatives. In a September poll Stefany Shaheen led her opponent, developer Anthony DiLorenzo, 46-42. Daughter of the retiring Senator Jeanne Shaheen and William Shaheen, founder of the powerful law firm Shaheen and Gordon, Stefany Shaheen has a resume that goes beyond parental support. Judge for yourself. She was a Division I volleyball player at Fairfield University and coached high school basketball where her daughter played and where Stefany Shaheen was named New Hampshire’s Division II High School Coach of the year. With degrees from the Kennedy School at Harvard and the Sloan School of Management at MIT, Stefany Shaheen wrote a best-selling book about her family’s experience with her other daughter’s struggle with Type I diabetes. Using the book as a. springboard, she founded an organization to encourage support for people with chronic diseases. Stefany Shaheen was elected to the Portsmouth City Council where she helped lead efforts to deal with a parking shortage and problems in the city’s water supply. In the financial race, on August 19, she had $800,000 cash in hand for her campaign on compared to her opponent’s $200,000. She needs help to close the deal. DONATE to Stefany Shaheen’s campaign.
STATE LEGISLATURES IN THE REGION
Democrats control the House and Senate in Maine and Vermont, though it is close in Maine. New Hampshire is a different story.
. New Hampshire’s House of Representatives has 400 members, a huge number for a small state. There are 221 Republicans, 177 Democrats, 1 independent and a single vacancy. This is such a large legislative body with a history of substantial change from term to term, I have no advice to give about specific candidates..
New Hampshire’s State Senate has 24 members. 16 Republicans and 8 Democrats.
New Hampshire Candidates to support. Donate to these five candidates via the OATH website. If they win, Democrats will gain control of the New Hampshire Senate
NH SD 07 Rebecca Harned
NHSD 09 Matt McLaughlin
NHSD 11 Shannon Chandler
NHSD 16 Dian McCarthy
NHSD 18 Leonad Bell
