Irene Wrenner

Irene Wrenner is the Democratic candidate for the Vermont State Senate in the Chittenden North District in the November 3, 2026 general election; she previously served in the seat from January 2023 to January 2025.[1][2] In a Ballotpedia survey she said she has worked 21 years to make government more affordable, transparent and accountable, and named affordability, health care costs and oversight of state technology spending as campaign priorities.[3]

Irene Wrenner was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, graduated from Phillipsburg High School, and earned a B.S. in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University in 1986, according to Ballotpedia.[2] Her career experience includes work in communication, human resources and information technology, and she started her own business.[2] In her Ballotpedia survey she said she started and ran a small newspaper before her first run for State Senate.[3]

Wrenner served on the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission and the Essex Selectboard; in her survey she said she was elected four times to the Selectboard over 12 years and served as clerk, vice chair and chair.[2][3] She defeated Leland Morgan in the November 2022 general election for the Chittenden North District seat and assumed office on January 4, 2023.[2] Chris Mattos defeated her in the November 2024 general election, and her term ended on January 8, 2025.[2]

Wrenner said in the survey that she identifies as a Democrat and votes as an Independent, and that the bills she introduced as a senator came from constituents.[3] She cited a child car seat law and a bill making Juneteenth a state holiday as measures she initiated, and said she voted against the Clean Heat Act, the Renewable Energy Standard and Act 181.[3] She also said she helped convince leadership to incorporate technology oversight into standing committees in 2025.[3]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.