Montpelier, VT – Today, Vermont Conservation Voters (VCV) announced its first set of endorsements this election season for candidates for the Vermont Legislature. These candidates are all in races in the August 11th Primary Elections.
Through its endorsements, VCV aims to educate voters across the state on candidates whose values and actions align with our vision for Vermont of advancing and defending policies that protect the environment and promote health, while advancing civil rights, social, racial, and economic justice, and strengthening our democracy.
This initial round of VCV endorsements focuses on legislative candidates who have demonstrated strong environmental leadership in the State House or in their communities, and who are facing competitive Primary races. VCV will endorse additional statewide and legislative candidates in the coming weeks.
To inform our endorsement process, VCV closely tracks legislators’ actions at the State House, including key votes on environmental bills and sponsorship of legislation that will advance the Environmental Common Agenda that VCV releases each legislative session in partnership with other advocacy organizations.
VCV’s digital Environmental Scorecard is available online to see how lawmakers voted on priority bills to act on climate change, ensure clean water, protect Vermonters’ health, and provide safe and accessible elections. For new candidates, VCV requires responses to a candidate questionnaire that provides context on a candidate’s environmental background and positions on a range of issues facing the state.
“Vermont Conservation Voters is pleased to endorse this initial list of candidates. We believe that these individuals will fight for a response and recovery to the COVID-19 crisis that prioritizes rebuilding in smarter, more resilient, and more equitable ways while addressing climate change, clean water for all, and working to hold polluters accountable,” said Lauren Hierl, Executive Director, Vermont Conservation Voters. “We look forward to helping these candidates win their races in the coming months, and once they are elected, working with them to advance policies that help rebuild a better Vermont that works for everyone.”
Here is VCV’s initial list of endorsed candidates for the Vermont State Legislature:
SENATE
- Mark MacDonald (Orange)
- Cheryl Hooker (Rutland)
- Anthony Pollina (Washington)
- Andrew Perchlik (Washington)
- Ann Cummings (Washington)
For the Chittenden Senate district, VCV has compiled voter information to highlight the records, values, and positions of candidates on a range of environmental issues important to voters. Click here to learn more about the candidates.
HOUSE
- Dane Whitman (Ben-2-1)
- Timothy Corcoran II (Ben-2-1)
- Seth Bongartz (Ben-4)
- Kathleen James (Ben-4)
- Bill Lippert (Chi-4-2)
- Tiff Bluemle (Chi-6-5)
- Gabrielle Stebbins (Chi-6-5)
- Hal Colston (Chi-6-7)
- Marybeth Redmond (Chi-8-1)
- Tanya Vyhovsky (Chi-8-1)
- Karen Dolan (Chi-8-2)
- Lori Houghton (Chi-8-2)
- Carl Demrow (Ora-1)
- Robin Chesnut-Tangerman (Rut-Ben)
- John Bartholomew (Wdr-1)
- Mike Mrowicki (Wdh-4)
- Michelle Bos-Lun (Wdh-4)
- Kirk White (Wdr-Rut)
Vermont Conservation Voters will be releasing additional statewide and legislative endorsements in the coming weeks.