On April 11, Vermont’s Republican Governor chose Chris Pearson to fill a vacant seat in the legislature. Pearson is a Progressive Party member, and was that party’s executive director for five years. In Vermont, the tradition is strong that when there is a legislative vacancy, the Governor appoints a replacement from the ranks of the party that had last won that seat. The vacant seat is vacant because former Progressive Party state legislator Bob Kiss resigned to take his new job as Mayor of Burlington.