Biography
Scott Campbell was born in Maryland but married Vermont with his wife, Mary Ready, in 1987. Her family hails from St. Albans, and also from St. Johnsbury founder Jonathan Arnold. Mary is a family practice physician specializing in hospice. They have three children, now adults, and have lived in St. Johnsbury since 2005.
Scott’s background is construction, building design and energy modeling. His work has included design-build contractor; Weatherization Program director; and designing and directing 3E Thermal, which provides energy consulting and incentives statewide. Scott graduated from Cornell University.
Since summer 2023, most of Scott’s time has been developing the Caledonia Food Co-op. Working with Jay Craven and the Co-op board, Scott helped raise over $1 million in local contributions and investments to buy a building in the main shopping district. Now the work is putting together the funding and financing to open the store.
Scott is past board president of Catamount Arts, a regional arts organization based in St. Johnsbury, and past board member of Rural Edge, the area housing agency. He also has served as an alternate rep to NEK Community Broadband, and on various Town committees and local service organizations.
Candidate occupation
Retired (volunteer developing Caledonia Food Co-op)
Why are you running for office?
Vermont is a special place. Out canvassing one year, a constituent’s door had a sign on it, “I wasn’t born in Vermont, but I got here as soon as I could!”
My sentiments exactly. I have always tried to contribute to my community, and here in our small State, every contribution counts in a big way.
In the State House, I want to continue offering my experience and expertise to help address key issues facing us.
Lack of housing is still strangling our economy, costing too much, and increasing homelessness. Further work is needed to streamline regulations and to fund targeted incentives.
Education funding and property taxes hit a crisis point this year. Finding a balance between reducing costs, improving outcomes, and maintaining local options is going to be extremely difficult — but vitally necessary.
The local impacts of global problems require active leadership. The climate crisis is already destabilizing our environment and economy, and it’s just beginning. Big Tech and AI will challenge in ways we can barely conceive. Revitalizing rural communities is key to future prosperity.
How we deal with these and other issues will determine the viability of the place we love.
Issues in brief
Do you believe Vermonters are better off now than they were 10 years ago?
No answer
Do you believe Vermont needs a new education funding formula?
Yes
Do you support imposing new taxes on the wealthiest Vermonters?
Yes
Do you support the establishment of overdose prevention centers?
Yes
Do you support a ban on flavored tobacco products?
Yes
Do you support increasing penalties for property crimes such as shoplifting?
No answer
Do you believe Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election?
Yes
Issues in depth
What would you do to help grow Vermont’s economy?
I think all agree we need to address demographics. We need to attract and retain young families. To do so, we must have the infrastructure and amenities they expect and need: housing, education, internet, recreation, arts and culture. We have made great progress supporting childcare, but we have more to do in affordable health care and working-family supports such as paid leave.
We must find a productive balance between immediate affordability and strategic long-term investments that build these vital amenities.
Rural economies can no longer depend on one or two major economic sectors to sustain them. We need a diversity. Agriculture, forestry, manufacturing, and tourism are all important. And we need build on our strengths: strong sense of community, accessible political process, natural beauty, relatively unspoiled environment.
What changes, if any, would you make to the way Vermont funds its schools?
I don’t know enough about this complicated system yet to say.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to address climate change? Please explain.
Yes we have made great progress on this.
The issue is not only taking responsibility for our own greenhouse gas emissions, past, present and future — although that is a moral imperative. But of course even if we stop all Vermont’s emissions it wouldn’t have much effect on global climate.
More to the point, for Vermont, is the effect of a destabilized climate on our environment and economy. The efforts of the Legislature, over the vetos of the Governor, have set the stage for a more sustainable future.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to regulate gun ownership? Please explain.
No answer
What would you do to help ease Vermont’s housing crisis?
Again, we have made significant strides in investment and streamlining regulations. It’s clear we need to continue the effort on both counts.
How would you address rising homelessness in Vermont?
Long term, relieving the housing shortage is key.
What would you do to increase access to health care services for Vermonters?
Ultimately it seems clear we need some version of a single-payer model. But transitioning from the current model, with its multiple layers of administrative overhead and associated profits, is incredibly difficult.
I would continue to make incremental but important changes such as H.766 (Act 111), passed this year, that streamlines prior authorization and other processes.
Financial disclosure
Candidates for state and legislative offices are required to submit a financial disclosure when filing to run. These disclosures include each source, but not the amount, of personal income of each candidate, and of their spouse or domestic partner, that singly or jointly totals more than $5,000 for the previous 12 months. The information provided is an opportunity for voters to learn about candidates’ potential conflicts of interest.
You can find Campbell’s financial disclosure here.
Disclaimer
We emailed a questionnaire to every candidate with a valid email address. The responses provided by candidates are in their own words. VTDigger has not edited or fact-checked information provided.
If this is your candidacy and you’d like to fill out the questionnaire or report an error, please contact us at voterguide@vtdigger.org.
