“I looked at the inventory of my strengths on the one hand and the needs of Vermont on the other and that’s why I chose to run,” Brock told VTDigger Thursday.
While little-known Democrat Brandon Riker has announced a run for the state’s No. 2 political office, Brock is the first Republican to enter the race. Brock ran for governor in 2012, losing to incumbent Gov. Peter Shumlin.
In an interview, Brock took specific aim at Vermont Health Connect, saying the software work that has been contracted out of state should have remained within the state’s borders. He said young Vermonters should be given jobs to fix the state government’s aging IT infrastructure.
“We are going to be doing huge software projects to fix our aging infrastructure,” Brock said. “All of that is a tremendous opportunity [for jobs].”
Brock said he had spoken to Lt. Gov. Phil Scott or former Wall Street executive Bruce Lisman, the two current Republican gubernatorial candidates, and that he would be happy to work with either candidate should they be elected.
“I think we have two very well-qualified candidates for governor,” Brock said. “I’ll be happy if either of them is elected.”
While Brock denied that he represented a hard right wing of the Vermont GOP, recent internal struggles within the party leadership point to ideological differences between him and Scott.
Brock, who lives in Swanton, served as state auditor from 2005 to 2007. He was elected to the Senate in 2008 and re-elected in 2010. Before his work in government, Brock worked as a vice president of risk oversight for Fidelity Investments.
A Vermont resident since 1970, Brock has lived in Swanton for the past 29 years. He and his wife, Andrea, have one daughter.
“The lieutenant governor’s job offers the flexibility and the platform to become a catalyst for critical thinking and innovative ideas about how to achieve Vermont’s long-term promise,” Brock said in a news release. “I want to raise issues, generate ideas and get people in business, government and individuals talking with each other – across party and ideological lines.”
