Chittenden County State’s Attorney T.J. Donovan Wednesday endorsed Scott Williams, the Democrat challenging Republican incumbent Thomas Kelly for Washington County State’s Attorney.
Former State’s Attorneys Jerry Diamond, Kim Cheney and Greg McNaughton also endorsed Williams from the steps of the Washington County Courthouse. They were joined by House Speaker Shap Smith, D-Morrisville, and Rep. Mary Hooper, D-Montpelier.
“Scott is an outstanding courtroom litigator,” said Donovan, who ran for Attorney General in 2012 and nearly defeated incumbent Bill Sorrell in the Democratic primary.
Williams is respected by law enforcement and others in the criminal justice system, Donovan said, and can work “with diverse groups in building consensus.”
Kelly, who has held the office for the past eight years and been a prosecutor for 27, does not seek or make endorsements, he said Wednesday in a phone interview.
“I chalk it up to politics, those endorsements, to tell you the truth,” he said. He asserted that the office of state’s attorney, which prosecutes crimes on behalf of the state, should be as apolitical as possible.
“I think it’s important for the process not to have any connections like that and endorsements from folks within the criminal justice system and the lawyers…who you’re going to be up against,” he said.
Kelly said he accepts campaign contributions but tries to pay for his campaigns with his own money. He has raised $300 from a neighbor and the Barre Town Republican Committee, he said.
Williams has raised $18,000, according to his filings with the secretary of state’s office. He had previously sought and received endorsements from the mayors of Montpelier and Barre.
Diamond also served as attorney general for three terms from 1975 to 1981. McNaughton was Washington County state’s attorney from 1974 to 1976 and again from 1978 to 1983. Cheney was state’s attorney since 1968 to 1972, according to a news release.
Williams is a trial attorney from Bennington who served in the U.S. Navy and attended Marlboro College and Temple University Law School. He lives in Berlin with his wife Linda and two children, according to the release.
