Terje Anderson, who was elected to lead the Vermont Democratic Party in 2017, announced Friday that he is stepping down for health reasons.
“It has been nearly three years since I was first elected as Vermont Democratic Party Chair,” Anderson said in an emailed statement.
“Sadly, I have to announce that I will be stepping down to deal with on-going health issues that prevent me from being able to continue to devote the time, the energy, and the focus that being Chair requires,” he added.
Anderson was the party steward during the blue wave in 2018 that swept much of the country, including Vermont, putting Democrats within range of a veto-proof majority in both the House and Senate. However, former energy executive Christine Hallquist, the Democrats’ pick to take down Gov. Phil Scott that year, was unsuccessful.
Bolstered by his handling of the Covid-19 crisis, Scott is again favored to beat whoever emerges from a Democratic field led by Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman and former education secretary Rebecca Holcombe.
Anderson’s run as VDP chair was also marred by the departure of his political director, Brandon Batham, amid an investigation into embezzlement of party funds. Anderson was not implicated, and was re-elected as chair in 2019, after the scandal.
In addition to his political efforts, Anderson has served in various state and national roles advocating for people with AIDS, as well as LGBT rights.
The party said its bylaws require an election 30 days after a chair resigns. Anderson will continue to work with an ad hoc leadership committee until a new chair is selected in August or September.
Anderson said serving as the VDP chair was “one of the greatest honors of my decades of political involvement” and added that he would remain involved with the party.
“But, especially during an election year, the Party deserves to have a Chair who can fulfill the role,” he said.
