The Democratic National Committee announced Thursday the formation of a council comprised of dozens of state leaders who will organize to ensure Democrats win up and down the ballot in November.
The national effort is designed to protect Vermont’s status as a reliably blue state
The Vermont council includes Vermont politicians, high-dollar donors and party leaders and is projected to live on beyond 2016 in order to help Democratic candidates during future midterm elections.
“The Victory Leaders Councils are critical to our success,” said former Gov. Howard Dean, a member, in a statement. “We need a big turnout up and down the whole ticket to defend our progressive ideals that are under assault nationally. Vermonters also have an opportunity to mobilize volunteers and spend some time in neighboring New Hampshire to deliver more electoral votes for Hillary Clinton and make sure Donald Trump never enters the White House.”
A DNC spokeswoman said the chief goal of the council is to spur volunteer efforts — like canvassing and phone banking.
Vermont is the first Democratic-leaning state in which the DNC has established such a council, and comes after the establishment of similar groups in red states including Georgia, Arizona and Texas.
The Vermont council includes prominent political figures — from Gov. Peter Shumlin to Sen. Patrick Leahy — as well as Vermont Democrat Party leaders. A handful of state senators and representatives are on the council, as is Jane Stetson — a powerful Democratic fundraiser on the national level.
The council includes figures who supported Sen. Bernie Sanders in his presidential bid — like state Sen. David Zuckerman and Rep. Peter Welch — as well as Clinton stalwarts, like former Gov. Madeleine Kunin.
The full list of council members is below:
Martha Allen
Christina Amestoy
Terje Anderson
Rebecca Balint
Elizabeth Bankowski
Judy Bevans
Matthew Birong
Tiffany Bluemle
Molly Burke
Sarah Buxton
Brian Campion
Donna Carpenter
Conor Casey
Rich Cassidy
Harry Chen
Kevin Christie
Peter Clavelle
Selene Colburn
Joanna Cole
Howard Dean
Dottie Deans
Lindsay DesLauriers
Joshua Diamond
TJ Donovan
Sandra Dooley
Bill Dorsch
Ellen Dorsch
Carina Driscoll
Carolyn Dwyer
Betsy Ferries
Phyllis Forbes
Nina Gaby
Veronica Gardiner
Heather Gautney
Billi Gosh
Maxine Grad
Michael Green
Lisa Hagerty
Mollie Hart
Arshad Hasan
Steve Howard
Lindsey Huddle
Kaki Hutchinson
Anthony Iarrapino
Tim Jerman
Mary Just Skinner
Rose Kennedy
Charlie Kireker
Marie Kireker
Vanessa Kittell
Warren Kitzmiller
Jane Knodell
Jill Krowinski
William Kuch
Madeleine Kunin
Sarah Kunz-Robinson
Allyson Laackman
Dennis LaBounty
Diane Lanpher
Pauline Law
Patrick Leahy
Joan Lenes
Anne Lezak
Bill Lofy
Ginny Lyons
Jack McCullough
Ryan McLaren
Michael Metz
Liz Miller
Sue Minter
Melinda Moulton
Sarah Muyskens
William Northrop
Jerome O’Neill
Jean O’Sullivan
Beth Pearce
Tony Pomerleau
Sara Puls
Kesha Ram
Nancy Richardson
Susan Ritz
Colin Robinson
Janice Ryan
Beth Sachs
Stephanie Seguino
Denise Shekerjian
Peter Shumlin
Eugene Stetson
Jane Stetson
Mary Sullivan
Gaye Symington
Linda Tarr-Whelan
Tess Taylor
Miro Weinberger
Peter Welch
Jen Whalen
David Zuckerman
Correction: Jack McCullough has been added to this list and John Hollar has been removed.
