Bock leads Reed with Andover still to report

Former Chester selectman Tom Bock held a slim 28-vote lead over fellow Democrat Melody Reed on primary night, with the results from Andover still unreported.

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Susan Smallheer / Staff Photo Tom Bock is accompanied by retiring Rep. Leigh Dakin as they campaign Tuesday outside the Chester Town Hall. Published August 10, 2016 in the Rutland Herald Bock leads Reed with Andover still to report By SUSAN SMALLHEER CHESTER — Former selectman Tom Bock held a slim 28-vote lead over fellow Democrat Melody Reed on primary night, with the results from Andover still unreported. Bock won his hometown of Chester with 250 votes to 209 for Reed, who also lives in Chester. The tiny town of Baltimore, which is also in the legislative district, gave each candidate 14 votes. And the very slim slice of North Springfield that is also part of the district went to Reed’s column, 24 votes for her and 11 for Bock. Both candidates were waiting for Andover to report their results, with no cellphone reception in that rural town. Bock and Reed had both campaigned outside the Chester Town Hall all day Tuesday, with Bock accompanied by retiring Rep. Leigh Dakin, D-Chester, and Reed joined by former state representative Kathy Pellett of Chester. The stakes are high since there are no other candidates running for Dakin’s seat and whoever wins the Democratic primary is poised to become the new state representative. Bock, a retired businessman who used to own Vermont T’s and worked at Chester’s Newsbank, stressed his work on behalf of Chester for the past couple of decades. He has been chairman of the Chester Planning Commission for the past 25 years, and he is now the chairman of the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission. Reed, an artist who owns a small wholesale jewelry business, was endorsed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. She was one of a handful of state House candidates to get Sanders’ nod of approval.