Sen. Bernie Sanders, left, and Gov. Phil Scott. Photos by Glenn Russell/VTDigger A majority of Vermonters surveyed recently said they want to see Republican Gov. Phil Scott and independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders run for reelection this fall. But the two top politicians remain tightlipped about their reelection plans as the state’s campaign filing deadline fast approaches. According to a University of New Hampshire poll released Tuesday, 58% of those surveyed said they want Scott to seek a fifth two-year term as governor, while 30% said they do not want him to run and 12% were undecided. Slightly fewer respondents, 54%, said they think Sanders should run for a fourth six-year term in the U.S. Senate. But 40% said they think Sanders should bow out, and only 6% of respondents said they were undecided on the matter. The Green Mountain State Poll, conducted by the UNH Survey Center between April 18 and April 22, used an online survey to query 924 people from a randomly selected group of 2,500 Vermonters. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.2%. The poll comes just weeks before Vermont’s May 30 filing deadline for major-party candidates. The state’s primary election takes place in August and the general election in November.  Neither Scott nor Sanders have announced whether they plan to seek reelection. In previous years, both have waited until May to go public with their decisions. In a state that sends only three people to Congress and is historically loyal to its incumbents, openings are rare in Vermont’s top political offices. When they do occur — as when veteran U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy retired last election cycle at age 82 — it can touch off a cascading series of open races.  This year, the question is whether Sanders, now also 82, will make the same call, or ask voters for another six-year term. Should he win reelection, Sanders would be 89 by the conclusion of a fourth term. If Tuesday’s poll is any indication, the question of whether Sanders should retire is on the minds of some Vermonters. Among the 40% of respondents who said they think it’s time for Sanders to hang up his hat, the top reason they cited was his age. Thirty-one percent of those who said he should retire said their No. 1 concern is that the senator is “too old.” Sanders’ campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Tuesday. Last month, the Washington Post reported that numerous political allies of Sanders were urging him to run again. As for Scott, 62% of those surveyed said they approve of his performance. Such respondents cited his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, his stances on state budgeting and taxes and his image as a moderate Republican. Jason Maulucci, a spokesperson for the governor, told VTDigger on Tuesday that high approval of the governor’s pandemic-era governing “was a demonstration of what people want to see in a governor — someone who’s able to take very, very difficult challenges that are thrown at a chief executive, and be a strong manager and a strong leader.” Twenty-nine percent of respondents, on the other hand, said they disapprove of the governor’s performance. They cited the governor’s handling of the state’s education system, state budgeting and finances, and his handling of drug policy and homelessness in the state. In response, Maulucci told VTDigger, “It’s no secret we’re in a difficult time with education.” This Town Meeting Day, roughly one-third of school budgets were voted down in the face of projected double-digit property tax increases. In the ensuing weeks, Scott’s office has squared off with the Democratic Legislature over how to respond. “The state costs are out of control. Results aren’t where they should be for the investments that we’re making,” Maulucci said. “And there’s just a lot of anxiety about what might be coming down the road.” U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vermont, speaks in Williston on Jan. 18, 2023. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger While Scott and Sanders’ November plans remain murky, those of U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., are not. The first-term member of Congress announced her reelection campaign last month. Balint so far does not have a challenger for the August primary, nor the November general election. According to the poll, 46% of respondents said she deserves to be reelected. Twenty-five percent said she does not, while 29% said they remain undecided. Read the story on VTDigger here: Poll: Majority of Vermonters want Scott, Sanders to run for reelection.