The resignation of a newly elected state representative in Castleton has left Gov. Phil Scott with a seat to fill.
In a resignation letter sent Dec. 13 to House Clerk BetsyAnn Wrask, Chris Brown, a Republican elected to represent the Rutland-3 district, attributed his decision to his wife’s recent stage 4 cancer diagnosis.
“This family medical crisis has necessitated the need for me to dedicate my time to helping her and my children and family as we meet the challenges ahead,” wrote Brown. “It is my most fervent hope that a suitable replacement will be named to move forward in my place. Someone with a history and love for Castleton, Vermont and Vermonters.”
Brown ran unopposed for the seat previously occupied by Rep. Jarrod Sammis. Sammis, who originally ran as a Republican but changed his party affiliation to Libertarian, did not seek re-election.
House Minority Leader Patricia McCoy, R-Poultney, said on Tuesday that the Castleton Republican committee has submitted its candidates to Scott, who is charged with appointing Brown’s replacement.
The governor, who is provided by the local party committee with three recommendations, typically chooses a person with the same party affiliation as the person vacating the seat.
Scott’s press secretary, Amanda Wheeler, confirmed in an email that the governor’s office has received the candidate nominations. She did not immediately respond to a subsequent request for those names Tuesday afternoon.
“Our office has received names and interviews for the vacant seat are underway,” Wheeler wrote. “There isn’t a specific timeframe for when appointments need to be made in situations like this, but we hope to move quickly.”
The next biennium in the Vermont Legislature will begin in roughly a week on Jan. 8, 2025.
Rutland County Republican Party Chair Steven Thompson expressed regards to the Brown family in a statement posted Dec. 16 on Facebook. “I ask you to keep Andrea and Chris Brown close in your hearts and prayers as they go through this trying period,” wrote Thompson.
