The race at a glance
Vermont’s Chittenden-14 State House race features two candidates who share the same party affiliation and the same status as current officeholders. Mary-Katherine Stone and Barbara Rachelson are both running as Democrats, and both enter the 2026 election as incumbents.
The race is designated as contested and will appear in Vermont’s general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The election will determine representation for Chittenden-14 in the Vermont House of Representatives.
Because Stone and Rachelson are both Democrats and incumbents, neither party label nor current officeholder status creates a distinction between them. The candidate field presented for the race does not include a Republican, independent or minor-party candidate.
Mary-Katherine Stone
Mary-Katherine Stone is running as a Democrat and is an incumbent in Chittenden-14. Her incumbent designation means she already holds the office connected to this election and is seeking to continue serving in the Vermont House.
Stone shares both of the basic ballot identifiers listed in this race with Rachelson: Democratic affiliation and incumbent status. The Nov. 3 general election will place Stone before Chittenden-14 voters as one of the two candidates in the contested race.
Stone’s candidacy should be evaluated on the same election date and for the same district as Rachelson’s. No outcome is determined by her party affiliation or incumbent status alone; those labels are also attached to the other candidate in the contest.
Barbara Rachelson
Barbara Rachelson is running as a Democrat and is an incumbent in Chittenden-14. Her incumbent designation means she already holds the office connected to this election and is seeking to continue serving in the Vermont House.
Rachelson shares both of the basic ballot identifiers listed in this race with Stone: Democratic affiliation and incumbent status. The Nov. 3 general election will place Rachelson before Chittenden-14 voters as one of the two candidates in the contested race.
Rachelson’s candidacy should be evaluated on the same election date and for the same district as Stone’s. No outcome is determined by her party affiliation or incumbent status alone; those labels are also attached to the other candidate in the contest.
What makes the race contested
The contest is between two named candidates seeking election in the same State House district. It differs from a race with only one candidate, where voters would not have a choice between multiple names.
In Chittenden-14, the candidates do not offer a contrast based on party designation: both will be identified as Democrats. They also do not differ in whether they currently hold office, because both are incumbents. Those shared characteristics make the candidates’ individual records and campaign messages important areas for voters to examine as the general election approaches.
The contested designation does not indicate an expected result, and neither candidate’s incumbent status determines the outcome. The decision belongs to Chittenden-14 voters participating in the general election.
Election date and next steps
The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026. Before voting, Chittenden-14 residents can review the final ballot and any public statements the candidates make about their priorities for the district and the state.
Key process developments include confirmation of the final candidate lineup and publication of official voting information. Those steps will clarify exactly how the Chittenden-14 contest appears to voters when ballots are issued.
