Dick Mazza’s seat in the Vermont Senate — which was left vacant last month after the state’s longest-serving senator resigned due to health concerns — now has a new occupant.
Governor Phil Scott appointed North Hero resident Andy Julow, a Democrat, to fill the Grand Isle District seat effective immediately on Monday, May 21. Julow, who is director of the Lake Champlain Islands Economic Development Corp., will complete the remainder of Mazza’s term, which ends in January.
Before his resignation in early April, Mazza, also a Democrat, had represented Grand Isle County and Colchester in the Statehouse for more than 42 years, serving in the Senate from 1985 to 2024 and in the House of Representatives from 1973 to 1976.
“Andy is a lifelong Vermonter with experience serving his community and promoting economic development in the islands,” Scott said in a news release Tuesday. “The voters of Grand Isle County deserve a voice in Montpelier, and I appreciate Andy’s willingness to serve.”
Described in Scott’s press release as an “active member” of the Grand Isle County community, Julow served as chairman of his local school board for nearly a decade and served on the Development Review Board for five years. Additionally, he ran two unsuccessful campaigns for the Vermont House of Representatives in 2016 and 2020.
Julow is married and has two adult daughters, who, like their father, attended Grand Isle schools.
“Many in the state knew Dick Mazza as a powerful senator, but to the people of Colchester and the Islands, he was a neighbor who genuinely cared about the well-being of others and for whom it was even a little bit too small,” Julow said. the press release.
What’s next for Julow?
Vermont’s legislative session had already ended for the summer by the time Julow was appointed to fill Mazza’s seat — barring the veto session scheduled for June 17 — but Julow said he still has work to do.
Since his appointment, Julow said he has cleared the urgent “backlog” in constituent services created by the month-long vacancy of the Senate seat. He will also join other lawmakers for the veto session next month.
In the meantime, Julow is also considering whether to launch a bid to extend his time in the Statehouse. Julow’s seat, along with all other seats in the Vermont House and Senate, is up for election on November 5.
Just a week before the major party’s filing deadline for the August primary, Julow — who said he hadn’t even considered filling Mazza’s seat until asked by Grand Isle Democrats — remained unsure about whether he would run for a full term of office.
However, Julow said if he decides to enter the race, he will prioritize finding solutions to recent statewide school budget issues.
“That’s something we really need to solve,” he said.
Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyyounger@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Andy Julow to Fill Dick Mazza’s Vermont Senate Seat for Colvhester
