Gov. Phil Scott has appointed Kelley Tully of Rockingham to a vacant seat in the state House of Representatives.
Tully, a Democrat, is filling the seat vacated by Matt Trieber, D-Rockingham, who stepped down in February.
Trieber announced his resignation on Feb. 11, saying that his legislative duties conflicted with his job as a youth counselor for the state.
Tully is vice president of Cota & Cota, a third-generation family fuel business based in Bellows Falls. She also is president of C&H Transportation, according to the governor’s announcement.
She also worked at Springfield Hospital for 25 years as a registered nurse.
In a statement announcing her appointment, Scott pointed to Tully’s combination of experience in health care and business during the Covid-19 crisis as an asset.
“She will bring an important perspective to the House and I appreciate her stepping into public service during these difficult times,” he said. “She will represent the people of her district well.”
Tully has also volunteered with several local organizations and boards including the Town of Rockingham Transportation Committee, the Vermont Rural Development Council Bellows Falls Project, and at the Kurn Hattin Homes for Children.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve our district and our wonderful and resilient state,” Tully said in a statement. She is appointed to serve the rest of Trieber’s term, which ends next January.
Scott followed the typical protocol for selecting a new representative, maintaining the same party affiliation. In this case, Scott selected from candidates put forward by the Democratic committee for the Windham-3 district.
Local members of the Democratic Party nominated Tully in a caucus last month, according to the Brattleboro Reformer. Tully received 8 votes, while Leslie Goldman of Rockingham, the only other formal candidate, received 20, the Reformer reported.
Scott spokesperson Rebecca Kelley said Saturday that Scott selects the candidate who he believes is “most qualified” and will best serve the district.
“While he is under no legal obligation to appoint from any particular list, he has always chosen to follow a tradition of selecting from among names sent by the party committee of the departing legislator. He also always assumes a party committee would only forward the names of candidates they agree are qualified,” Kelley said. “It was clear in this case both candidates were well qualified and would be good public servants.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 5:42 p.m. to include a statement from Rebecca Kelley.
