Sarah George won the Democratic primary for Chittenden County State’s Attorney, fending off a challenge from a former colleague who sought to portray her progressive policies as a risk to public safety. George, who was appointed to the role in 2017 and has been reelected twice before, defeated Bram Kranichfeld, a New North End resident who serves as the top prosecutor in Franklin County. Kranichfeld called George to concede around 11:15 p.m., at which point she held a lead of 13,618 votes to his 12,530. The contest came as Burlington continues to grapple with a highly-visible homelessness and drug problem. Kranichfeld vowed to be tougher on repeat offenders, in part by reversing some of George’s signature policies, such as her refusal to ask for cash bail. George, meanwhile, urged voters to stay the course, saying she believed her approach was making a difference. Kranichfeld managed to secure about 150 more votes than George in the Queen City. But George maintained strong support across the rest of the county, picking up victories in 14 of the remaining 17 towns. And while her victory was less decisive than four years ago, George said this race felt more like a general election than a primary. She noted that Kranichfeld outspent her by $100,000 and suggested that his messaging appeared to be aimed at Republicans, some of whom likely chose to vote in the Democratic primary, she said. Wiping away tears, George said her victory shows that Chittenden County voters care more about “values and people” than they do “money and power.” “We did that by being in the community, spreading accurate information and informing our constituents about the realities of our legal system, the truth of our legal system, and the truth of the really good work we’re doing,” she said, “and not focusing on only negative, and not spreading misinformation and not feeding the fear that is happening in our community.” Kranichfeld said he believed his campaign had “changed the conversation in this county around public safety.” “Obviously we’re disappointed with the outcome,” he said. “But I’m extremely proud of the campaign we ran. We had supporters from all across the county and I’m proud of the fact that we ran a clean campaign.” George now moves onto the general election, where she will be the only major-party candidate. The post George Wins the Democratic Line for Chittenden County State’s Attorney appeared first on Seven Days. ...read more read less