WINOOSKI — On August 11, Winooskians will cast their votes in the Democratic primary for the city’s representatives in the Vermont Statehouse. Following Progressive Chloe Tomlinson’s decision to not seek reelection after one term, voters have to choose between three candidates running for two open seats. An incumbent, Daisy Berbeco, along with Al Turkos and Matt Gile, are all on the Democratic ballot. There are no Republicans running for the seat. If elected, the two candidates will run unopposed on the general election ballot in November.
Meet the candidates:
Daisy Berbeco
Daisy Berbeco, 47, is from Seldovia, Alaska, a small fishing community accessible only by boat or airplane. She studied at Sonoma State University in California and received a master’s degree from the University of Sussex in England, where she studied science and international development. After graduating, she worked in global health with nonprofits that took her to places like India and Vanuatu, and spent seven years at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing in Washington, D.C.
Berbeco moved to Winooski in 2019 and was first elected to the Vermont Statehouse in 2022. Prior to her work in the Statehouse, she was the senior advisor for mental health policy at the Vermont Department of Mental Health and the secretary for the Finance & Policy Division of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors.
“I am really committed to advancing access to quality mental healthcare and addiction treatment prevention, and that just wasn’t happening as efficiently as I wanted it to as a member of the governor’s executive branch, so I thought I would try it from the other side,” Berbeco said.
In addition to mental healthcare, Berbeco’s legislative priorities include affordability, housing and improving access to democratic processes.
“We are facing costs of living that are out of control, and we need representation that is going to fight, but also partner strategically, to make life affordable and allow all residents of Winooski to thrive,” Berbeco said. “I have a strong background and a proven record that shows that I could do that for Winooski. It’s been such an honor to do that, and I love doing it. I feel like it’s where I really can shine for our community.”
Berbeco is currently a justice of the peace, serves on the advisory board of the Hopi Foundation’s Substance Abuse Prevention Center on the Hopi Reservation in Arizona and co-chairs the board of the Vermont Association of Mental Health and Addiction Recovery. She is also a mother of two.
Berbeco is endorsed by the Vermont State Employees’ Association and 314 Action Fund, an organization that focuses on electing Democrats with a background in science to public office.
“Winooski needs a candidate who is experienced at navigating some of the politics of making policy,” Berbeco said. “To be able to navigate that space, with four years of experience and relationships, I think that is something that will prove productive for constituents in Winooski.”
Learn more about Berbeco and her campaign here.
Matt Gile
Matt Gile, 42, grew up in Colchester and graduated from the University of Vermont with a B.A. in English. After graduating, he worked at the Colchester High School library. There, he met his wife, who convinced him to go back to school for his teaching license. Ten years ago, he started working as a librarian in the Winooski School District, where he’s been ever since.
Gile said his work with the Winooski Education Association, the teachers’ union, was his “entry to legislative advocacy.” He was formerly the union president and is now chair of the union’s community action committee. Gile advocated for Winooski’s sanctuary schools policy, which restricts federal agents from entering school buildings without a proper judicial warrant. It also altered how the Winooski School District collects data to protect it from being shared with federal agents, and created an internal rapid response group that responds when there is a crisis in the community.
Gile describes being drawn to politics after seeing how President Donald Trump’s administration has affected the city’s immigrant community, specifically the travel ban that went into effect in January 2017.
“The next day, I had a student at story time who was crying and said that his grandmother, who was Iraqi, was planning to visit (and) had to cancel her trip,” Gile said. “It was a direct, immediate impact on somebody that I really cared about. I think that really shifted for me how I thought about politics and what it meant.”
Gile is a supporter of union workers and has a background in labor reform. He has organized rallies, such as the May Day Strong rally that marched on the ICE data facility in Williston, and the 2025 Labor Day rally in Burlington.
Gile is also a founding member of the Central Vermont Democratic Socialists of America, now the Green Mountain DSA, and is a member of the Progressive Party, although he appears on the primary ballot as a Democratic candidate.
Gile’s stated priorities include defending Winooski’s immigrant community, building public housing, investing in public transportation and advocating for universal healthcare.
“The core of our campaign is getting out there and talking to people. It’s really my favorite part of (running for state representative). I can walk up to any random person in Winooski and introduce myself, and we’re immediately talking about the deep issues in our community. That’s been one of the things that I wasn’t expecting how much I would enjoy and appreciate,” Gile said.
If elected, Gile plans to continue working in the library and take part-time leave during the legislative session. He also plans to pick up more gigs as a wedding DJ, his side-hustle.
Gile is endorsed by the Committee of Interns and Residents, the Progressive Party, the Green Mountain DSA and outgoing Winooski representative Chloe Tomlinson.
“I love this community, and I have a background and history of labor advocacy and fighting for working people, and that’s what I want to do at the state level,” Gile said.
Learn more about Gile’s campaign here.
Al Turkos
Al Turkos, 38, is from Underhill. They attended Plymouth State University in New Hampshire. After college they moved to New York City, where they lived for over a decade.
Turkos has a background in the reproductive health, rights and justice movements. They worked on the board of the New York Abortion Access Fund and the steering committee of All Above All, an organization which works to expand access to abortion and contraception in the United States and Latin America.
Turkos said that coming into their identity as a queer, nonbinary person has empowered them, and compelled them to use politics as a way to support their community.
“I knew that all of our liberation is tied to one another in a way that I read about in books, but I hadn’t seen (it) come to fruition,” Turkos said. “My queerness is not just my sexuality; it is my politics, and it is rooted in liberation, is how I would define it.”
In 2017, Turkos was kidnapped and assaulted by a Lyft driver. They subsequently sued the NYPD for mishandling the investigation and received a settlement. Turkos also worked with other survivors of sexual abuse to pass the Adult Survivors Act in New York, which gave survivors a one-year window to file civil suits against the people and institutions that harmed them, regardless of when the abuse occurred. Turkos founded a group to support survivors and contributed to the U.S. Department of Justice’s 2022 investigation into how the NYPD Special Victims Division handled cases like theirs.
Since returning to Vermont after the pandemic, Turkos has settled in Winooski with their wife and dog. Today, Turkos serves on the Winooski City Council and as the city’s representative on the Burlington Airport Commission. They are also an organizing member of the Winooski Neighborhood Group and volunteer at the Winooski Food Shelf and “in support of immigrant rights,” according to their campaign website.
Turkos’ priorities include strong public schools, affordable housing, healthcare and immigrant safety. Turkos said they would keep open lines of communication with constituents if elected, a lesson they learned by serving on public boards.
“I want to be really accessible to my neighbors. I think it’s so important,” Turkos said.
Instead of seeking traditional endorsements from politicians or elected officials, Turkos opted to collect endorsements from neighbors, friends and community members, which are posted on their website.
“I have been embedded in the community for quite some time, and I know the needs of the community. I know that the folks on Manseau Street really want a sidewalk; that’s something that I’ve been hearing for a long time now,” Turkos said. “(Community organizing) is something that I have been working on for quite some time, not in a way that was attempting to serve this position, but because it is to my core who I am.”
Learn more about Turkos’ priorities and campaign here.
Polls will be open between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on August 11 at the Winooski Senior Center. Early voting is available now until 4 p.m. on August 10 at Winooski City Hall. For more information about the election or about requesting a mail-in ballot, click here.