We Won!
With the polls closed and votes counted in the Bennington-4 towns of Arlington, Manchester, Sandgate and Sunderland, Kathleen James and I have won the Democratic primary and will advance to the November 3 general election.
We’re thrilled that, all over Vermont and in our district, people are taking this election seriously and voting in droves.
This will be a consequential election. The economy is in a deep recession, many of our friends and neighbors have lost their jobs and our small business sector is struggling to survive.
If we’re elected to serve as your state reps, helping the unemployed and small business owners get through these difficult times will be our highest priority. Immediately after the election, we’ll meet with elected officials and other community leaders in the four towns that make up our district. We want to listen and use these meetings to develop our priorities for what promises to be a very difficult legislative session.
Next, we’ll pull together Bennington County’s legislative delegation to try to form a unified agenda for this oft-forgotten part of Vermont. Now more than ever we need an effective, unified delegation. We can help make that happen.
It may be hard to see it now, but we believe our district is particularly well-positioned to recover from the pandemic and to build a vibrant economic future. This work has been underway across Bennington County for years, with innovative ideas and leadership from many people. The opportunity now is to build on that work despite the daunting challenges.
Our sense of community, our entrepreneurial spirit, our extraordinary array of excellent public and independent schools, our year-round recreational and cultural opportunities, and our unique natural beauty are already drawing families with school-age children to relocate here. Some are bringing their businesses with them. More people means increased economic vitality. We need to seize this opportunity. Doing so will require a coordinated effort at the local and state levels. We believe we can be an effective local-to-state conduit — supporting innovative ideas here at home and in the statehouse to help move our region forward.
Thanks to all who’ve participated in the democratic process so far. We look forward to seeing you on the campaign trail.
Seth and Kath
