This story by John P. Gregg was published by the Valley News on May 30.
[T]UNBRIDGE – Tunbridge Selectman John O’Brien, the filmmaker who catapulted dairy farmer Fred Tuttle into Vermont political lore, is running for the Vermont House.
O’Brien confirmed late Tuesday that he plans to run as a Democrat for the Windsor-Orange 1 House seat representing Royalton and Tunbridge.
Republican state Rep. David Ainsworth, a dairy farmer from Royalton, has been battling health problems but has indicated he plans to run again.
Ainsworth served two terms, lost the seat in 2010, but then narrowly won it back in 2016 over then-Rep. Sarah Buxton, D-Tunbridge. After a judge added a second vote to his tally in a recount, Ainsworth won, 1,005-1,003.
O’Brien wrote and directed “Man With a Plan,” the 1996 film in which Tuttle, a retired dairy farmer, ran for political office.
With O’Brien’s encouragement, Tuttle later ran in real life in the 1998 Republican U.S. Senate primary, defeating a wealthy GOP candidate regarded as a carpetbagger by many Vermonters. Tuttle then lost the general election to U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., though he had encouraged voters to back Leahy.
Tuttle died in 2003 at 84.
