[T]hree Rutland County Republicans are making a pitch to fill the legislative seat vacated by state Sen. Kevin Mullin, R-Rutland.
Rutland Alderman Tom DePoy, Rutland Town Selectboard Chair Joshua Terenzini, and David Soucy, general manager of the Green Mountain National Golf Course in Killington, all say they are interested in filling the remainder of Mullin’s two-year term representing Rutland County.
Mullin left the Senate after being appointed by Gov. Phil Scott to chair the Green Mountain Care Board. The board’s duties include regulating health insurance prices and hospital budgets.
A caucus of Rutland County Republicans is expected to recommend three names to the governor as nominees to fill Mullin’s remaining term.
DePoy, Terenzini and Soucy are all set to speak to the caucus Thursday evening. They are also the only three Republicans to circulate information regarding their biographies to county GOP members, according to several party officials.
Other names have been bandied about as possible hopefuls, but so far only DePoy, Terenzini and Soucy have publicly declared their interest.
All three Senate hopefuls said Wednesday that if appointed in time for the veto session in two weeks, they would support upholding the governor’s veto of the state budget.
Rebecca Kelley, Scott’s director of communications, could not be reached Wednesday for comment.
Mullin was one of three Republican state senators from Rutland County. The other two are Brian Collamore and Peg Flory.
Collamore, the Senate minority leader, said Wednesday that he has not endorsed anyone to replace Mullin.
“I think they all have strengths to offer, and I look forward to hearing them (Thursday) night,” he said of the three announced hopefuls, adding that other candidates could still step forward at the meeting. “Nominations can be accepted from the floor.”
DePoy, 46, of Rutland, is the owner and operator of Green Mountain Kleen cleaning company. He served in the Legislature from 1999 to 2006 and has been a city alderman since 2007. He ran an unsuccessful campaign for state Senate in 2010.
“I definitely entered my name in for consideration,” DePoy said Wednesday. “I think it’s a very good opportunity for myself to step up and take on the challenge of Montpelier.”
He talked of his legislative experience as a strength and wanting to push Rutland County economic initiatives in the Statehouse. He also said having run a countywide campaign in the past, he knew what it takes to compete in such a race and help the GOP hold onto the seat come election time.
Soucy, 60, is a resident of Killington. He is the PGA head golf professional at Green Mountain National Golf Course in Killington in addition to serving as general manager of the municipally owned facility.
Soucy said he hasn’t made a run for public office before. He did put his name into consideration to replace Rep. Job Tate, R-Mendon, when he stepped down from his post earlier this year. Soucy interviewed with Scott, but the governor ultimately selected Jim Harrison, formerly of the Vermont Retail and Grocers’ Association, to fill the position.
“My interest is to try to promote Vermont and increase jobs and economic development,” Soucy said Wednesday. “I’ve just always had an interest in politics, current events, the economy and jobs, and how difficult it is to run a business here in Vermont.”
Terenzini, 30, the son of Rep. Thomas Terenzini, R-Rutland Town, is the district sales manager for Mattress Firm around Vermont and in western New Hampshire. He served on the Rutland Town Selectboard from 2008 to 2012 and was a member of town’s school board from 2014 to 2015. He returned to the Selectboard in 2015 and has been chair for the past 18 months.
“I’ve had interest for years in taking my municipal-level experience to the state level,” he said Wednesday. “It’s an opportunity for me, as the next generation coming up through our Republican Party, to be able to articulate some of my thoughts, and bring some of my skill sets to Montpelier and see if I can provide real change and give a real perspective of someone in their 30s.”
Joshua Terenzini said he believes it’s important that Vermont be seen as an attractive place for young people to live and work and that the Republican Party in the state appeal to younger voters. “I think at 30 years old,” he added, “I could bring a great perspective to the state Senate.”
The person they are seeking to follow, Mullin, has been part of the Rutland County legislative delegation for nearly two decades. Mullin won a House seat representing Rutland Town in 1999, and in 2003 he was appointed to the state Senate.
Mullin won a two-year term in the Senate in November 2016. Whoever is appointed to fill his seat will be up for election to a full two-year term in November 2018. DePoy, Joshua Terenzini and Soucy all said that if appointed to the post they would run for election to a full term.
Correction: Mullin was elected in November 2016 and the seat will be up for re-election in November 2018, not March as was stated in a previous version of this story.
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