A version of this story, by Patrick Adrian, was first published in the Valley News on Aug. 2.
Voters in the Windsor County Senate district have plenty of options to choose from in next week’s primary elections as they determine who will represent them in the Vermont Senate.
The names of four Republicans and five Democrats will appear on primary ballots in the district, though one candidate — Royalton attorney Marc Nemeth, a Democrat — has said he is withdrawing from the primary due to health concerns.
Two incumbents in the three-member district are running for reelection: Sen. Alison Clarkson, a Woodstock Democrat, and Sen. Becca White, a Hartford Democrat. The third incumbent, Sen. Dick McCormack, a Bethel Democrat, is retiring after more than 30 years of legislative service.
The three top vote-getters in the Democratic and Republican primaries will move on to the general election in November. They’ll be joined on the ballot then by independents and minor party nominees.
Three of the Republicans in the race — Jonathan Gleason, of Ludlow, Andrea Murray, of Weathersfield, and Jack Williams, of Weathersfield — are calling for cutting back state spending, reducing regulations and a more balanced mix of political views in the state’s Democratic-controlled Legislature. A fourth Republican, Robert Ruhlin, of Cavendish, did not respond to phone and email messages by deadline.
Three of the Democrats — Clarkson, White and Joe Major, of Hartford — cited housing, education funding and climate change readiness as major priorities. Another candidate in the Democratic primary, Justin Tuthill, of Pomfret, described himself as a fiscal conservative who believes the state needs to rein in its spending.
In interviews conducted by email, the candidates discussed their top legislative priorities.
Jonathan Gleason
Gleason, 55, describes himself as a political moderate and an admirer of Republicans such as Vermont Gov. Phil Scott and U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, due to their ability to work effectively with people of opposing views.
“The Vermont Senate has become politically polarized and has lost the balance required to ensure all Vermonters have a fair and equitable voice,” Gleason said. “I would work towards restoring a feeling of collaboration, inclusion and belonging to the electorate.”
Gleason, a ski instructor with a background in business and finance, has not previously held public office.
He expressed concern about young adults leaving the state to seek other opportunities, or disengaging from political participation or community involvement. Retaining Vermont’s youth is critical to supporting the economy and preserving the state’s tradition of locally governed towns and cities, he said.
“We need to make economic opportunities available to all Vermonters, especially the younger generation,” Gleason said. “Good paying jobs and affordable housing are paramount to attracting and maintaining valuable people to our communities.”
While not in support of what he called costly environmental regulations, Gleason said that the state needs to educate citizens about the ramifications of climate change, including severe weather events. The state also must explore engineering improvements to infrastructure, particularly in developed areas that are vulnerable to flooding, he said.
On education funding, Gleason supports a comprehensive investigation into per pupil cost structures and fiscally sustainable approaches to providing an equitable and quality education for students.
“School budgets have been increasing and student populations have been decreasing (but) I am optimistic that an affordable, sustainable common sense solution can be achieved,” he said.
Andrea Murray
Murray, a farmer and small business owner from Weathersfield, is seeking her first election to a public office. Her spouse, August Murray chairs the Windsor County Republican Party.
If elected, Murray said she intends to push for lower taxation and fiscal restraint — and against the Legislature’s Democratic majority.
“It is time Windsor District citizens had representation that believes their money is best spent by them and not redistributed by an out-of-control supermajority,” Murray said.
Murray’s top legislative priorities include housing affordability and job creation. She said she supported Scott’s proposals in 2024 to increase affordable housing, including by reforming zoning and permitting regulations that slow housing construction, and by providing developers with tax incentives to restore blighted residential properties or convert buildings into housing.
“To attract and retain talented young people, we must provide affordable housing, improve public safety, and enhance quality of life,” Murray said. “This includes making strategic investments in housing and infrastructure, as well as streamlining regulations to make it easier for businesses to thrive. We need to decrease government spending, lower taxes and incentivize businesses to operate.”
On climate change, Murray said she opposes the state’s use of regulatory mandates on utilities and heating fuel companies, which she believes lead to higher energy costs to consumers.
To mitigate damage caused by flooding, she said towns should work collaboratively with state and federal agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, and the Army Corps of Engineers.
On education funding, Murray said that policies are needed to improve the efficiency of school operations and to maintain a sustainable tax burden.
“Paying more and getting less in our children’s education is unacceptable,” Murray said. “Funding an endless series of studies only to see double-digit tax increases is insane and making taxpayers suffer from their property tax increases is not the answer.”
Jack Williams
Williams, 75, also is seeking his first election to public office. Now retired, Williams worked 30 years in the Vermont Agency of Transportation and served 20 years in the U.S. Army.
“In each of those positions I have held leadership positions, worked effectively as a team member, developed new programs, and worked tirelessly to accomplish the mission,” Williams said in an interview. “But it takes more than experience and credentials to be an effective legislator; You must love your country and all the good that it stands for.”
If elected, Williams said he intends to propose amending the state constitution to provide citizens with a legal process to propose and adopt constitutional amendments, create or repeal laws or veto legislation.
“(In) a free and democratic country, citizens must have the right to a voice in their government other than by electing (officials) or by voting (them) out of office at election time,” he said.
On the issue of climate change, Williams criticized Vermont’s signature climate law, the Global Warming Solutions Act. Signed into law in 2020, the act requires the state to reduce greenhouse gas pollution to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80% below by 2050.
“This act was written into law by a partisan state legislature made up of people totally unqualified to hold public office,” Williams said. He also asserted that Vermont’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint will have little impact on a global scale.
To better adapt to severe weather conditions such as flooding, the state should be working with professional engineers to develop its policies, rather than politicians, Williams said.
On education funding, Williams recommends eliminating “wasteful and frivolous expenditures,” reconsidering rules that increase funds to districts serving students with greater learning needs, a cap on the homestead property tax rate and exempting individuals ages 65 or older from paying the homestead tax.
“This low property tax rate, plus exempting seniors from paying property taxes, would attract a large number of people to move (to Vermont) from other states to work and retire, thereby adding to the overall economy of the state,” Williams said.
Alison Clarkson
Clarkson, Senate majority leader and a former theatrical producer, is seeking a fifth term in the state Senate, where she has served since 2017. Prior to that, Clarkson served 12 years as a state representative.
“I believe that, at its best, government expresses our care and concern for each other,” Clarkson said. “It undertakes projects that need to be common endeavors — things we can’t do alone (and) that enable our common good.”
Such projects, she said, include education, assisting people living in poverty, infrastructure and improving the general standard of living.
On climate change, Clarkson said the state must continue its ongoing effort to rein in its fossil fuel consumption while also strengthening Vermont’s preparedness to respond to weather-related impact.
“Creating river corridors with robust wetlands to absorb more water, reinforcing our aging dams and building out of harm’s way will take years and a lot of money — but that work is underway,” Clarkson said.
She said she’s hopeful the Climate Superfund, a law enacted in May that authorizes the state to seek payments from fossil fuel companies based on their greenhouse gas emissions “will eventually help pay for the damages caused by the burning of fossil fuels and for the adaptations we need to make to mitigate climate change.”
On education funding, Clarkson said the state needs to develop a comprehensive and informed plan on how to equitably and sustainably meet the needs of students amid rising educational costs.
Her other legislative priorities include creating more housing to support the state’s workforce needs.
“The lack of housing for working Vermonters is affecting almost every business in our state, (as well as) the viability of our communities, schools and environment,” Clarkson said. “Vermont has been under-building housing for decades.”
Ways to spur housing growth, Clarkson said, include reducing regulatory barriers to building housing in downtowns or village centers, and providing state incentives to encourage infill development, such as accessory dwelling units or restoring vacant or blighted residential properties.
Joe Major
Major, 59, is Hartford’s current town treasurer and executive director of the Upper Valley Aquatic Center. He previously served two years on the Selectboard, including as vice chairman, and currently sits on the boards of several nonprofits, including Headrest, Upper Valley Haven and Friends of Dartmouth Health Cancer Center.
“My candidacy is rooted in the belief that a collaborative and forward-thinking approach can lead to meaningful and lasting change,” Major said. “Central to my campaign is the desire to help people and foster a sense of community resilience. I recognize the challenges many families and individuals encounter, from affordable housing shortages to health care access and quality job opportunities.”
On climate change, Major said he endorses a multifaceted approach that reduces carbon output and protects the state from the impacts of destructive weather-related events.
“For Vermont, this means investing in resilient infrastructure, enhancing early warning systems, and implementing sustainable land-use practices,” Major said. “Policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions are crucial to mitigating the long-term effects of climate change. Local governments and communities must also prioritize restoring natural landscapes, such as wetlands, which can act as buffers against flooding.”
On education funding, Major said the state needs to explore new and more equitable ways to raise revenues for schools. In addition to rising operating costs — including to align facilities and technology with modern educational standards — Vermont’s tax base is shrinking due to its small and declining population.
Ways to address these challenges could include seeking alternative revenue sources, such as public-private partnerships, exploring innovative and more efficient educational models and encouraging regional collaboration or school consolidation to reduce costs, he said. Major also suggested reforming the property tax system to make funding distributions more equitable between communities.
Access to affordable housing is a top legislative priority, Major said. If elected, he would support reforming zoning laws to encourage higher-density development, streamlining the permitting process to reduce delays and costs for developers, and removing barriers to homeownership through expanding programs that provide financial assistance to low- and middle-income families.
“By adopting a comprehensive approach that includes regulatory reform, financial assistance and innovative housing models, Vermont can work towards resolving its housing crisis and ensuring that all residents have access to safe and affordable homes,” Major said.
Justin Tuthill
Tuthill, 38, resides in Woodstock and works as a cook. He has not held public office before.
In 2020, Tuthill ran for the U.S. House as a Republican. He fell short in the primary, losing to Miriam Berry, of Essex Junction, Vt., by 3,400 votes.
Asked about the switch in parties, Tuthill explained that it made more sense strategically in 2020 to run in the Republican primary, where his candidacy could receive more consideration from voters than had he immediately taken on then-Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., at the time a seven-term incumbent.
“I’m not really interested in party tribalism,” Tuthill said. “What’s more important to me is what the (candidate) wants to accomplish and what they have accomplished.”
Tuthill said he does not factor party ideology into his political positions. When running for U.S. Congress, he advocated for policies that are traditionally championed by liberals, such as mandatory maternity and paternity leave. But he changed on many positions when running for state government because Vermont lacks sufficient resources to sustain its current spending levels, he said.
“We have an aging population and, with youth leaving the state, we will at one point be unable to fund our obligations — and how much more in taxes can we (raise) from the remaining workers?” he said.
On climate change, Tuthill said he is more concerned about “breaking the backs of Vermonters” on initiatives that will make minimal difference due to the state’s small population and geographic size.
More effective state environmental initiatives would include mitigating invasive species, and protecting infrastructure and water supplies from floods or other weather-related events, he said.
On education funding, Tuthill said the state’s first step should be to find and eliminate unnecessary spending.
“While I do not believe many areas of education are overfunded, as with everything government-related there is certainly unnecessary waste,” he said.
Becca White
White, 30, is currently the youngest member of the Senate and is seeking her second term. She previously served two terms as a state representative and four years on the Hartford Selectboard. She co-chairs the Climate Solutions Caucus, a legislative group.
“It has been the honor of my lifetime to represent the community that raised me and I have the enthusiasm and desire to improve the lives of folks in the Windsor District,” White said. “I grew up here, I understand the challenges and joys of living here, and I believe everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive in our community.”
On climate change, White says she worries in particular about the impacts of severe weather events, such as flooding and droughts, on people living in poverty, who are often impacted the most.
“My priorities (next legislative session) are funding the build-out of resilient infrastructure (such as) roads, bridges, culverts, and waste water and sewer treatment improvements, by providing financial support to municipalities who are on the front lines of these disasters,” White said.
On education funding, White said the Legislature needs to study ways to offset the impacts of increasing costs — including inflation, health care and the growing demand for mental health and social services — and declining federal funding.
White also supports setting a higher property tax rate on second homes owned in Vermont to help fund rising education costs. The state tax department is currently studying ways to distinguish between different types of properties, including by their use.
If reelected to the Senate, White said she would like to prioritize new ways to fund road and bridge infrastructure maintenance, improving the efficiency of vehicle travel to reduce the state’s carbon footprint and improving income equity.
Marc Nemeth
A fifth candidate, Marc Nemeth, an attorney from Royalton, is withdrawing from the Democratic primary due to a health concern but said, in a phone interview on Monday, he intends to run as an independent in the general election in November.
Nemeth said he was recently diagnosed with lymphoma and is beginning treatment. While he believes he will still be able to serve in public office, Nemeth said he did not want to risk being elected as a party nominee unless he’s certain he will be able to run in November.
Running as an independent will also allow him to demonstrate his ability to appeal to voters across a broader political spectrum, Nemeth added.
