Campaign updates
For the latest on what I’ve been up to and upcoming events, find me on Instagram and Facebook!
Upcoming forums:
Building Bright Futures Early Childhood Candidate Forum: Oct. 13, 6–7:30 pm, Ilsley Public Library, 30 Main St., Middlebury
Addison-3 State Rep Candidate Forum: Oct. 20, 7–8:45pm, Ferrisburgh Town Hall
On protecting all constituents
A neighbor posted a great question in the Vergennes Front Porch Forum. I’m documenting my response here for anyone who missed it:
From Ruth Williams: We all have plenty of political opinions, which I think is necessary for a healthy democracy, but with the friction between states and the federal government right now, this issue is one I really care about. As an example, this year Vermont lawmakers considered bills limiting how ICE operates in the state, including restrictions on arrests in schools and houses of worship.
Candidates, if elected, how will you protect all of your constituents, including women, LGBTQ+ Vermonters, and Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, from actions by the federal government that you believe violate their rights? What specific bills or policies would you support or oppose? And if you think something other than state legislation is the right response, what would it be?
My response: Hi Ruth, thank you for this important question. This issue of friction between states and the federal government is something that I also care deeply about, and it’s a big part of why I’m running for office. When I launched my campaign, I wrote: “I see my tax dollars funding endless wars, enriching wealthy tax evaders, and imprisoning innocent people looking for a better life in our country. And I’m inspired by people in Vermont and elsewhere speaking out and fighting back, on the streets and through legal action, policy and mutual aid. I refuse to be complacent.” That’s all still true.
One of the things that inspired me to run for office was that in 2024, we elected politicians who don’t share my values of inclusion, accountability and solidarity. When Senator Heffernan made offensive anti-trans comments on the Senate floor, there was no statement condemning Heffernan’s speech from Representative North. When a vulnerable group is thrown under the bus and my representatives won’t speak up for them, I lose trust that they’ll fight for any of our neighbors when the time comes.
I’m committed to protecting all Vermonters - regardless of where they were born, what religion they practice, their race, ethnicity, disability status, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. ICE is here in Addison County and recently arrested roofers in Cornwall. Immigrant workers and their families are essential to our dairy and construction sectors and they are valuable members of our communities who belong here and deserve paths to citizenship. I’m inspired by recent state legislation that was passed to protect Vermonters from federal overreach. Examples include S.209, which prohibits warrantless civil arrest in sensitive locations; H.849, which allows folks whose constitutional rights have been violated by federal, state or local authorities to seek damages in state court; and S.28, a “shield law” that broadened protections for patients and providers of reproductive health care (including abortion) and gender-affirming care. Rob North voted against these bills.
Going forward, I would support similar bills that proactively shield Vermonters from federal overreach and give them legal pathways to fight back. One example: as the federal government continues to attack people's ability to vote, particularly women and other people who have changed their names since birth, I will support a state-based Voting Rights Act to protect our most essential democratic freedom. We need to use every tool at our disposal.
Primary win!
Thank you to the voters of Addison-3 for believing in and voting for me in the primary on August 11! We are onto the general election because of your support.
Vermont NEA endorsement!
I’m so proud to have the support of Vermont's largest union, the Vermont-National Education Association. I'm a Vermont public school grad (and the daughter of school bus drivers and the daughter-in-law of public school teachers!) and I'm committed to fighting for equitable, quality public education for every kid in Vermont. When our teachers and school staff are fairly compensated and supported, we all win.
Meeting community members and listening to concerns
My favorite parts of campaigning have been door knocking and meet & greets. I’m so impressed with how engaged so many of our neighbors are and very grateful when folks take time out of their busy days to share their ideas and concerns with me. Something I’ve heard a lot about from people in our district (aside from much alignment on the major pieces of my platform - housing, education, healthcare and taxes) are concerns around pollution of Lake Champlain. The lake has been special to me since I was a young child and our waterways in Addison County are crucial to our health, recreation and tourism here. I would love the opportunity to fight for the enforcement of clean water regulations in our district to protect our waterways and drinking water—I believe this is an attainable goal for us!
Visiting with Addison County’s Social Service providers
It’s been wonderful to meet with folks from so many of Addison County’s robust social service orgs as part of my campaign, from Addison Housing Works to CSAC and Peer Recovery Center. Something that’s impressed me is how much these orgs coordinate with each other in order to prioritize the needs of the people they serve. So many people in our community are working tirelessly to support folks in need as federal funding becomes more uncertain and needs around housing, mental healthcare and recovery support are as urgent as ever.
Celebrating Pride in Vergennes!
I had a great time with my family at Vergennes Pride and was honored to get to speak and share about how meaningful this community is to me and why I'll always show up and fight for equal rights! There was a big turnout and it was inspiring to see folks of all ages show up.
A major highlight was being introduced to a couple legendary Vermonters - Holly Puterbaugh and Lois Farnham - who were part of the lawsuit that led to VT's civil unions law. They were surprised to hear they are in a book that I recently finished (Equal is Equal, Fair is Fair by Allen Gilbert)! What an honor to meet them.
Here is an excerpt from my speech:
I came of age during the time of civil union debates in Vermont. I had a “Take Vermont Forward” sticker on my first car - some people might remember those stickers - it was to combat the anti-civil union “Take Back Vermont” signs in peoples’ yards. I’ve been aware for a long time that although Vermont is a wonderful, welcoming place for so many people and it’s been at the forefront of equity and inclusion for so long, that doesn’t mean everyone here welcomes everybody, or that we don’t still have to continually fight for basic rights and equality. While the topics may have shifted from marriage rights to trans rights and bodily autonomy, it’s still critically important that we all speak up and show up.
As a woman, as a mom, as a friend, as a prospective legislator - my values guide me in everything I do, and I would bet they align pretty closely with the values all of you hold, too. I believe in inclusion. Everyone belongs here. Everyone deserves dignity and respect. Everyone deserves to be heard and to feel seen. I believe in accountability. For all of us, but especially for people in power, including elected officials, Democrat or Republican. If you say or do something that undermines a person’s rights and humanity - there must be accountability, and believe me, I’ve sought it for folks in both parties. I believe in solidarity. We have to work together. We can’t be punching down at easy targets. We must use our voices and our privilege to speak up for our neighbors who are most at risk, whether they’re migrants living at farms just down the road, whether they’re our disabled family members whose protections and benefits are constantly at risk of being taken away, whether it’s our trans neighbors being singled out with harmful, hateful rhetoric.
Lives are at stake. I know that I’m preaching to the choir but it doesn’t hurt to remind folks - according to the Trevor Project, 90% of LGBTQ+ young people said recent anti-LGBTQ+ laws, policies and debates caused them stress or anxiety. And we know where that leads, especially when it’s so hard in this country to access mental health care. Words and rhetoric matter. I will remember the smiling face and the name Lia Smith forever and I know a lot of you will too.
Connecting with local agriculture
Todd Hardie of Champlain Valley Grain Center Vermont gave me a tour of his new facility by the Ferrisburgh-Vergennes Depot. Todd shared his history with this piece of land (going back 30 years!), the ups and downs of the permitting and planning processes, and his forward-thinking vision for supporting grain farmers and bakers right here in our district with much-needed grain storage and milling capacity that growers currently drive hours to access. This will hopefully encourage more local farmers to grow grain here!
In addition to the world-class mill, he'll be baking bread and making whisky on site. This kind of investment in our local agricultural systems is so inspiring and important.
I was touched to find out that Todd knew my dad and remembered me as a child from the church where my dad preached. I've had many of these kinds of full-circle moments in this campaign and it's a constant reminder of how small and connected our little corner of Vermont really is, and I'm always happy to remember my dad and hear about the impact he made on so many people in his time as the radical preacher in Charlotte.
