[B]ARRE — The six Democratic candidates vying for three seats in Washington County held a forum Monday evening kicking off one this year’s most highly contested state senate races.
Washington County incumbents Sen. Anthony Pollina, Washington-P/D, and Sen. Ann Cummings, Washington-D, are seeking re-election, while the third seat is open after Francis Brook announced in May his plans to retire from state government. All three are Democrats.
The slate of four challengers have a wide variety of backgrounds and political experience, which they attempted to sell to a crowd of about 50 voters who turned out Monday evening at a forum at the Aldrich Public Library in Barre.
Andrew Perchlik is the director of Vermont’s Clean Energy Development Fund, and the founding director of Renewable Energy Vermont, a renewable energy trade association. The 50-year-old lived in Marshfield for 20 years, where he was selectboard chair for two years, before moving to Montpelier.
Ashley Hill, 33, is deputy state’s attorney in Washington County and a Montpelier city councilor. Hill said she is running because she believes the government’s power for good, after living in a family that “needed help” growing up.
“We need people who have been disenfranchised, who have been shut out of the process, who have worked their way up to be in positions of public trust, because we understand what it’s like to be on the outside looking in,” she said.
Hill previously ran for state senate in 2011 but lost the primary to former state senator Francis Brooks by a single vote.
Andrew Brewer, 52, was the owner of Onion River Sports in Montpelier for nearly two decades and said he would bring the perspective of a small business owner and the integral role local companies play in Vermont communities to the Statehouse.
“I hope to bring to the state Senate that ability to bring together people,” Brewer said during his opening statement.
Middlesex attorney Theo Kennedy formerly worked in consumer affairs for the Vermont Department of Public Service as an attorney for the Department of Children and Families and Agency of Human Services. He is also the owner of Chill Vermont Gelato in Montpelier.
Cummings, a real estate broker from Montpelier, played a prominent role in the showdown at the Statehouse in recent months as chair of the Senate Finance Committee. The 71-year-old said she is running for re-election because democracy is under “some threat.”
Pollina, 66, of Middlesex, is seeking re-election after serving in the Senate since 2011. He was instrumental in bringing Progressive party politics to statewide attention through his involvement in a number of three-way races, including runs for governor and lieutenant governor.
Pollina has also worked as the director of Rural Vermont, policy director for Vermont Public Interest Research Group, and an advisor to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
There was scarce policy disagreement to differentiate the candidates during Monday’s forum, which was moderated by Brandon Batham and Maggie Lenz of the Vermont Democratic Party, and Seven Days columnist and reporter John Walters.
The six contestants were asked if they were in favor of continuing to implement further restrictions on gun ownership, following a package of firearm control bills passed by the legislature this spring.
None of the candidates took the opportunity to support further legislative action. Both Cummings and Perchlik emphasized the need to look at other causes of gun violence.
“We do need to work on the other issues that are the root cause of these things, we need to make sure to expand the debate,” Perchlik said.
Hill said she supports the newly adopted gun restrictions, but she is concerned about a “blanket prohibition” on all gun owners under the age of 18.
Pollina said the state needs to engage the two sharply divided sides of the firearms issue in the development of other solutions to gun violence.
“I’m not exactly interested in any further restrictions on gun violence going forward, but I’ll see in the future as this plays out,” he said.
Brewer and Kennedy both said they believe the laws passed this legislative session were sufficient.
Walters asked the candidates what they believe the most pressing needs are for Barre.
Hill said the state needs to enact policies that address systemic poverty, and the “hopelessness and helplessness” that leads to addiction.
“In Barre we really need to focus on our most vulnerable populations,” she said. “Those are not folks on the margins, those are a majority of community members in Barre.”
Kennedy said the city needs to improve the public education system, including vocational and technical education, while Perchlik and Brewer said Barre simply needs more attention from lawmakers.
Pollina said downtown Barre needs a sense of community. He said he wants to raise wages and add paid family leave to boost the economy, both progressive priorities that were passed by the Legislature this session but vetoed by Republican Gov. Phil Scott.
“One of the best things you can do for business is not give them tax breaks, but to give consumers more money in their pockets,” Pollina said.
Cummings said she believes Barre’s leaders can figure out what the community needs to “bring itself back,” and legislators can help with that effort.
Candidates also discussed the environment and strategies for curbing carbon emissions. Specific proposals ranged from investing in public transportation, rail, electric school buses and transitioning home heating to wood pellet stoves.
All candidates said they support the legalization and taxation of marijuana, and all said they would support legislation that would allow communities to establish safe injection sites.
Hill said a friend died a few months ago from an overdose, which could have been prevented had a safe site been available. She said the state needs to provide funding to reduce addiction, and ensure that rehab facilities have space available.
“We need to create a culture that allows people to feel safe in expressing their addiction,” Hill said.
Brewer also came out in strong support of the concept.
“This is about keeping people alive,” he said. “Does anyone really think that if someone has an addiction they can get off it themselves?”
The topic of a $15 minimum wage was one of the rare parts of the party platform that drew some debate. Candidates were asked if they would support that increase over two years.
All candidates said they were in favor of raising the wage to that amount, but Brewer, Cummings, Pollina and Kennedy said they felt two years is too short of a time period for small businesses.
“We need to ramp it up at a rate the businesses can adjust to,” Cummings said.
The top three candidates in the August 14 Democratic primary will face three Republicans who have an unopposed primary. The general election is on November 6.
Chris Bradley, 59, is president of the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs and led the opposition to gun control bills passed by the state legislature this spring. He is also the only Republican candidate with any elected experience, having served as a selectboard member in Northfield, where he resides.
Ken Alger of Barre Town serves on the community’s bike path committee. The 51-year-old has been in the construction industry for three decades, is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association and a certified pistol and rifle instructor.
Dwane Tucker, 42, also of Barre Town, describes himself on his campaign site as a conservationist who cares about the environment. He has coached youth football and little league.
