Photo: Rep. Emily Carris Duncan // photo by Wild Hand
Ah, remember the 2024 Election? Personally, I try not to. We already had many environmental champions choose not to seek reelection to the Vermont legislature, and then a handful of incumbents lost their contested races, and to top it all off Trump won the presidency. Oof.
Desperately searching for glimmers of hope and positivity to get me through, one name stood out: Emily Carris Duncan. In a political landscape where people who aren’t white, cisgender, male, or heterosexual (to name just a few) are being erased and legislated against, and with a legislative configuration that just got a whole lot more of those things, it was refreshing to see someone like Emily in the crop of newly electeds.
In this week’s episode of the Democracy Dispatch podcast, I chat with Representative Emily Carris Duncan. They are a queer person of color representing the Windham County towns of Wilmington, Whitingham, and Halifax. The child of former Rutland County Senator, Bill Carris, Emily knew a thing or two about running a campaign but had never been the focus of one before. They took their skills around organizing, grassroots activism, and community care and won their election with 55% of the vote.
We discuss Emily’s journey into public service, the importance of representation in politics, and their advocacy for local economies, data privacy, and land access for marginalized communities. Emily shares the challenges and rewards of being a public official, the significance of self-care, and the need for diversity in Vermont politics. We also get into a bit of the work they do with the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust and the Land Access and Opportunity Board, highlighting the importance of inclusive policies and community support.
I hope you’ll give this episode a listen. And while I am making requests, please consider attending our 2025 Lifetime Environmental Achievement Awards on April 28th in Randolph where we will honor longtime legislators Mark MacDonald (D-Orange) and Dick McCormack (D-Windsor). You can RSVP here. Can’t make it but what to support our work? Consider making a small donation today so we can continue uplifting the positive work of policy makers in Vermont.
As always, thanks for listening,
Justin Marsh, Political Director
Vermont Conservation Voters
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