It’s come to our attention that, contrary to decades past, not many Vermont newspapers today make endorsements. We suspect that’s largely because newspaper owners, or management, see no advantage in causing hard feelings for those not supported. Moreover, endorsements can be seen as partisan and puts the paper on one side of that dreaded political divide. We get it and have weighed those concerns.

Here’s why we do: The purpose of an endorsement is to cite reasons why one candidate might have skills or experience to serve the public better than his or her opponent. The object is to encourage readers to think about their own preferences and provide insight or background of each candidate to help readers make a choice. We also interview candidates during hour-long conversations, and in some cases interact with them on multiple occasions — an opportunity most voters don’t have. Finally, not every reader has the time to become informed about every county and state office up for vote. We do and lend that insight.

We share our perspective not to coerce voters to follow suit, but knowing readers will use their own knowledge and point of reference when voting. The endorsement is one source of information voters can use. It complements the many robust letters to the editor in support of candidates, as well as candidate profiles. All these points of reference become a collective resource for voters spread over several weeks. We’ll also publish a state and countywide election guide inside the Addison Independent next week for those who need a refresher just before the Aug. 11 vote.

Here are some endorsements; more to come next week.

U.S. HOUSE: BALINT FOR DEMS, MALLOY FOR GOP

In the race for Vermont’s lone U.S. House seat, Democrat Becca Balint has our solid support. She’s also running unopposed in the Democratic primary.

On the Republican side, Gerald Malloy and Mark Coester are seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Balint. Both candidates have run in previous elections.

Malloy, who lives in Weathersfield, is a combat veteran and businessman in the tech industry. He previously ran against Sen. Peter Welch and Sen. Bernie Sanders for one of Vermont’s two Senate seats. Malloy says he wants to bring balance to the Senate and has pushed back on some federal actions during President Trump’s second term, including Trump’s cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, as well as Trump’s immigration policy.

“I don’t like the immigration actions that have been going on here across the United States,” he said in an early July interview with WCAX-TV. “We don’t need to track down every, every person that might not be fully documented here. Criminals, drug dealers. Yep. Get them out.”

Malloy also took exception to Trump’s trade battles with Canada. “I don’t understand why we’re picking on Canada so much,” adding his main goal is to bring more jobs to Vermont.

Malloy lost in the 2024 Senate election to incumbent Sen. Bernie Sanders, 63.2% to 32%, and lost to Sen. Peter Welch in the 2022 election for U.S. Senate, 68.5% to 28%. Still, that’s a respectable showing against two very popular incumbents.

In the general election against Sen. Welch in 2022, Mark Coester ran as an Independent and garnered 0.4% of the vote in the eight-person race. In his race for U.S. Representative against Balint in 2024, he received 29.8% of the vote compared to Balint’s 62.3%.

Coester is a logger living in Westminster. He has granted few interviews during the 2026 campaign, but his views can be found in a Ballotpedia survey from 2024 here.

That’s thin gruel on which to make a decision, but Malloy has demonstrated a disciplined approach to his several campaigns and endorses a platform that represents moderate Republicans well.

TIM ASHE FOR VT. AUDITOR OF ACCOUNTS

Of the two Democrats competing to earn their party’s nomination, Tim Ashe is the more qualified. That’s a statement of fact. Ashe has been the deputy auditor for Vermont for the past five years, starting in 2021, serving under Doug Hoffer, who held the position for seven two-year terms and is not seeking re-election.

Ashe has almost 20 years of service spanning three decades in local and state government. He served on the Burlington City Council from 2004 to 2007, then in the Vermont State Senate from 2009 to 2020. He was elected president pro tempore in 2017 and held that post through 2020 when he ran for lieutenant governor, losing in a competitive Democratic primary.

Ashe, 49, is up against two other Democrats: Nicholas Graeter, of Williston, and Dan Towle, who is on the ballot but has withdrawn.

Graeter, 28, is an accounting specialist for Heritage Automotive Group, while also running the online golf content business HoleFore. Graeter says his experience with social media content creation would be an asset for the auditor’s office.

“My background is uniquely suited to the challenge ahead,” Graeter writes on his campaign website. “I work in an accounting office, and I understand data, finances, and the need for fiscal rigor. Additionally, my experience in digital marketing taught me how to create content that resonates with millions. If elected, I will bring modern communication to the Auditor’s office. My goal is to ensure that any Vermonter, regardless of their background, can easily understand exactly how their government is working for them, and where it is falling short.”

A fourth-generation Vermonter, this is Graeter’s first run for public office. While Graeter is a promising candidate who understands how to use his accounting background to the state’s benefit, the main work of the auditor’s office is to survey the state’s hundreds of programs and to thoroughly study and write reports that help state officials improve programs that are falling short. The prerequisite for the position is first understanding what those programs are.

Ashe has the years of experience working in state government to know what reports of which programs could have their greatest impact. Critically, he also has the on-the-job experience to know how to strengthen programs to produce better outcomes for Vermonters. That’s the background required to serve the state well in this position.

On the Republican ballot, H. Brooke Paige is the perennial candidate who has filed as a placeholder for the GOP. He is unopposed. He has also filed as a candidate for attorney general, secretary of state and treasurer. Paige, 73, has earned the moniker of the “most prolific campaigner in Vermont,” having run for numerous offices, for both the Democratic and Republican parties, since 2012.

MIKE ELMORE FOR ADDISON COUNTY SHERIFF

In Addison County races, voters have one contested primary in the race for sheriff. Incumbent Mike Elmore has served the county with distinction these past two terms and deserves to be re-elected. First elected in Nov. 2022, Elmore is running against a familiar opponent in Republican Ron Holmes, who has unsuccessfully run for sheriff for the past several elections.

— Angelo Lynn