Three Democrats compete in Washington County assistant judge primary race

August 6, 2026 | By Otis Roessler | Community News Service

In one of the few local races on Tuesday’s primary election ballot, three Democrats are competing for two Washington County assistant judge positions.  

A little more than five years after taking office, incumbent Assistant Judge Leah Murphy Jones is running again, this time in partnership with Washington County businessman Caleb Curry. 

Incumbent Assistant Judge Leah Murphy Jones. Courtesy photo

Both Montpelier residents, Jones and Curry have taken to social media to spread the word, creating a joint Facebook page and asking supporters to flood Front Porch Forum with endorsements.

But the race will be no walk in the park for the pair. Their opponent, Anne Dielensnyder, a political newcomer from Berlin with deep civic roots, has spent more money than any candidate for the office over the past two election cycles. 

The two candidates who win on Aug. 11 will go up against Republican Ture Nelson of Berlin, and independent Daniel Gates of Montpelier in the November General Election.

The candidates are competing for an atypical judicial role. Also called “side judges,” assistant judges don’t interpret law. Instead, they listen to courtroom testimony and establish facts to help the presiding judge render decisions. 

When it comes to matters of fact, the assistant judges have as much say as the presiding judge, Jones said. For example, if the presiding judge interprets a fact differently than the assistant judges, but both of the assistants agree, then their interpretation wins out, Jones said. 

“It gives better outcomes when there’s three people listening,” she said. “We are there to provide another set of attentive ears to ensure that people are fully heard in difficult situations.”

The state’s 28 assistant judges — two per county — are also responsible for administering the county budget and maintaining courthouse property. While in office, Jones oversaw the $2 million reconstruction of the Montpelier courthouse and Washington County Sheriff’s Department offices after they were flooded, and arranged with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover the cost. 

Gov. Phil Scott appointed Jones to the seat in 2021 after the death of her predecessor, Otto Trautz, the previous year. In 2022, she ran for the seat and won alongside Elizabeth Battey, who decided not to run for re-election this year. 

With Battey stepping down, Jones recruited Curry as a running mate. She said she considers the decision more of a political risk than an advantage, as he could be elected instead of her. But Jones says it's important for her fellow judge to be someone she trusts, and that she’s known Curry for years. Both grew up in Washington County.

First-time candidate Caleb Curry from Montpelier. Courtesy photo

“It’s a really heavy job,” Jones said. “You really need to feel connected and uplifted by the person you work with.” 

Jones attended the University of Vermont and, as a student, volunteered at a shelter for people experiencing domestic abuse. After graduating in 2001, she moved to San Diego and worked as a paralegal for a family law firm. She then moved to Boston, where she worked as the managing editor of legal titles for a book publisher. After moving home to Vermont, she worked at the Vermont College of Fine Arts’ writing for children and young adults program. 

Curry worked in operations management for three car dealerships owned by the McGee family, which he said has given him experience in building maintenance and code compliance. He said he’s currently in between jobs but will soon be working in operations for Flexaseal in Williston.

“It was great to work with a budget and find the right people to get the job done,” Curry said of his past employment. “That gave me the administrative experience that I think we need here in Washington County.” 

Jones also believes in Curry’s character and sees him as a good fit for the human side of the job.

“On one of the worst days of your life, the community can feel really trustful that he is going to do his best for them,” Jones said. 

The pair has their work cut out for them. Dielensnyder is outspending her opponents by a large margin, shelling out $7,662 thus far on her campaign, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office. Jones has spent $1,115 on her own race and made a $659 in-kind donation to Curry’s, covering the cost of newspaper ads and T-shirts. Curry himself has only spent $498 dollars on the campaign, public records show. 

First-time candidate Anne Dielensnyder. Courtesy photo

Dielensnyder’s campaign spending also dwarfs that of the contenders in the 2022 Democratic primary for the county’s assistant judge. The third-place finisher in that race, Tess Taylor, spent just $1,556, a mark that Dielensnyder is blowing out of the water. 

Originally from New Jersey, Dielensnyder moved to Vermont in 1983. She worked for the state’s environmental agency before attending Woodbury College, where she attained a certificate in mediation. For 35 years, she volunteered as a guardian ad litem, a role that advocates for children involved in court proceedings. The position involves collecting details of a given case to broaden the presiding judge’s perspective, she said. 

With her husband as the home’s sole breadwinner, Dielensnyder has been able to volunteer her time to public service. She got the idea to run for assistant judge while serving on the Friends of the Vermont State House Board of Trustees. She said she was initially hesitant about the idea but warmed up to it. 

“I realized this might be a perfect time for me to do this because of my dedicated public service,” Dielensnyder said. She has since stepped down from the friends’ board to avoid any conflicts of interest.

Having never run for office, Dielensnyder said she thinks it's important to make herself known to the public. She has visited 20 Vermont towns and cities, including marching in the Barre Heritage Festival parade in late July, and plans to add more to her list before the election. 

But advertising seems to be the cornerstone of Dielensnyder’s campaign. She’s printed flyers, T-shirts and yard signs. And she’s spent hundreds of dollars on newspaper ads, including in the Times Argus, Waterbury Roundabout and Northfield News. At least twice in her campaign, she bought smaller print ads and then upgraded to full-page ones, records show. She’s also paid for large banner ads on The Montpelier Bridge newspaper’s website. The ads emphasize her long career in public service. 

All three candidates are bankrolling their own campaigns, having received no contributions from supporters, their finance reports show. In keeping with their relatively meager spending, Murphy and Curry have lent themselves far less money than Dielensnyder, who has infused her campaign with $11,500 in cash.

Jones declined to comment on her and Curry’s campaign strategy, but campaign finance records show that she has purchased yard signs, brochures, T-shirts and ads in both the Times Argus and the Waterbury Roundabout that feature smiling photos of herself and Curry. 

“Together they offer integrity, accountability and experienced leadership for Washington County,” the ad reads. 

While they’ve invested similarly, Dielensnyder has done so on a larger scale. For example, Jones spent $117 on yard signs in July; Dielensnyder spent $2,136. 

Despite the partnership of her opponents, Dielensnyder said she would be ready to work with whoever else is elected, regardless of party. “I can work with anyone, especially when we have a job at hand to do,” Dielensnyder said.

Otis Roessler with Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship program, reported this for the Waterbury Roundabout and The Times Argus.