Kath and Seth at a Manchester campaign event with the statewide candidates we're endorsing. Left to right: Charity Clark (running for Attorney General), Sarah Copeland-Hanzas (running for Secretary of State), House Speaker Jill Krowinski, Kitty Toll (running for Lieutenant Governor) and Becca Balint (running for U.S. Congress).
The Democratic Primary:
Who We're Endorsing (and Why)
The August 9 primary is fast approaching, and early voting is underway. Quite a few folks have asked which Democratic candidates we’re supporting in the hotly contested statewide races, so we decided to share our endorsements publicly. All these women are proven, highly respected leaders who embody deep integrity. They also have experience: They’ve done the hard, day-to-day work. They know how to collaborate with other people, how to negotiate and compromise, and how to get things done for Vermonters.
For U.S. Congress, we strongly support Becca Balint. Becca was elected unanimously by her colleagues to serve as Senate President during the past biennium. In this job, she had to work closely with many other legislators — within her own party, across the aisle and in coordination with House leadership — to set priorities, forge compromise and move bills across the finish line. It’s a tough job that goes way beyond sending out press releases or making pronouncements. 65 current state legislators have endorsed Becca’s campaign. That’s an overwhelming vote of confidence from colleagues who know her and her opponent well. Becca’s the real deal. Learn about Becca here.
We’re endorsing Kitty Toll for Lt. Governor. The next Lt. Governor could very well be our Governor in two years, so this is a critical choice. As the former chair of the House Appropriations Committee, Kitty has a deep understanding of the budget and how state government works. Critically for this region, Kitty also understands and is a strong supporter of independent schools as an integral part of Vermont’s education system. We respect Kitty’s intelligence, work ethic and ability to work across party lines to get things done. Learn about Kitty here.
We support Sarah Copeland-Hanzas for Secretary of State. During her 18 years in the legislature, Sarah was frequently called on to oversee the process for dealing with some of the toughest issues. Most recently, she has been integral on passing key climate bills, saving our public pension systems and the tricky task of legislative reapportionment. She engages in the nitty-gritty work of policymaking and then applies the leadership to get it done. Our respect for Sarah runs deep and you can learn more about Sarah here.
Finally, we’re supporting Manchester native Charity Clark for Attorney General. A graduate of MEMS, BBA, UVM and, finally, Boston College Law School, she started her work career bagging groceries at the family store, Clark’s IGA, in Londonderry. She has made us proud by working her way up through the ranks to become chief of staff in the Attorney General’s office, where she acquired the practical knowledge and the leadership skills to manage a complex operation. She’ll be a strong voice for justice and fairness. She gives back to her hometown by serving on the board of Burr and Burton Academy. Learn about Charity here.
While we don’t have a primary opponent in August, we’re off and running with our own 2022 re-election campaign. We’ll be gearing up to win in November — knocking doors, attending events, and meeting with constituents in Arlington, Manchester, Sandgate and Sunderland. We’re proud of what we accomplished during the 2021–2022 biennium and hope to continue representing our district as a team for another two years. We’ll be kicking our campaign into gear after the primary.
Rep. Kathleen James Rep. Seth Bongartz Bennington-4: Arlington, Manchester, Sandgate and Sunderland
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Rep. Kathleen James
Assistant Majority Leader
Email me: KJames@leg.state.vt.us
Call me: 802.733.1435 (mobile), 802.366.1158 (home/office) And follow me on Facebook