Members of Rights & Democracy (RAD) have voted to endorse a slate of 56 total candidates in the upcoming races for governor, lieutenant governor as well as in multiple legislative races across the state.
The endorsements were announced at Tuesday night’s launch of Renew New England, a platform put forth by a coalition of racial justice groups, labor unions, and other grassroots organizations, including RAD, to fight for racial equity, a just recovery, and green economy by building new and bold political leadership. Keynote speakers included Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA), Rep. Ro Khanna (CA), and Varshini Prakash of the Sunrise Movement.
You can watch a recording of the launch here.
“We are fortunate to have a sizeable slate of phenomenal candidates up and down the ballot for this year’s elections. Rights & Democracy is committed to the work of collective liberation and correcting the historical wrongs that we are reckoning with in our state. The transformation that comes from bringing in strong, prospective candidates into our movement is rooted in the dreams and demands of our most marginalized communities,” said Kiah Morris, Rights & Democracy’s Vermont Movement Politics Director. “These candidates are ready and eager to use their political power to take us from the world where we are to the world we most want to see. We are excited about the work ahead.”
To be considered for an endorsement, candidates completed questionnaires in which they outlined their platforms and how they align RAD’s values and vision. In addition to working for key issues such as raising the minimum wage, workers’ rights, universal health care, and racial equity, this year’s endorsed candidates have joined RAD in its vision to rebuild and renew Vermont by:
- developing thriving, equitable and sustainable local economies that center the priorities of workers and frontline communities and create good-paying, unionized jobs;
- building a zero-carbon energy sector by 2030 and zero-carbon building and transportation sectors by 2040
- enacting reforms that make our government more inclusive of and accountable to the communities it serves.
This thorough and transparent endorsement process is a key component in RAD’s Movement Politics work – training and supporting members to run for office, and building political power at every level of government. Earlier this year, twelve of the fourteen RAD-endorsed candidates in local races for Town Meeting Day won election, including 5 candidates for Burlington City Council, giving the Progressive Party control of seven of the Council’s twelve seats. This slate of endorsed candidates follows RAD’s early endorsed candidates, which were announced in June.
RAD is pleased to present the full list of endorsed candidates for the 2020 gubernatorial and state legislative races:
Governor
- David Zuckerman
Lieutenant Governor
- Brenda Siegel
Secretary of State
- Jim Condos
Treasurer
- Beth Pearce
Auditor
- Doug Hoffer
High Bailiff – Addison County
- Dave Silberman
State Senator
- Ruth Hardy – Addison County.
- Philip Baruth – Chittenden County
- Erhard Mahnke – Chittenden County.
- Chris Pearson – Chittenden County**
- Kesha Ram – Chittenden County
- Michael Sirotkin – Chittenden County**
- Cheryl Hooker – Rutland County**
- Andrew Perchlik – Washington County**
- Anthony Pollina – Washington County**
- Becca Balint – Windham County
- Jeanette White – Windham County
State Representative
- Mari Cordes – Addison 4**
- Jubilee McGill – Addison 5**
- Barbara Wilson – Addison Rutland**
- Dane Whitman – Bennington 2-1
- Chip Troiano – Caledonia 2**
- Michael Yantachka – Chittenden 4-1
- Bill Lippert – Chittenden 4-2
- Bob Hooper – Chittenden 6-1**
- Emma Mulvaney-Stanak – Chittenden 6-2
- Brian Cina – Chittenden 6-4**
- Selene Colburn – Chittenden 6-4**
- Scott Pavek – Chittenden 6-5
- Jesse Paul Warren – Chittenden 6-5
- Barbara Rachelson – Chittenden 6-6
- Taylor Small – Chittenden 6-7
- Tanya Vyhovsky – Chittenden 8-1**
- Emily Hecker – Chittenden 10 Milton
- Martha W. Allen – Essex-Caledonia-Orleans
- David Glidden – Franklin 3-1
- Mike McCarthy – Franklin 3-1**
- Avram Patt – Lamoille-Washington**
- David Yacovone – Lamoille-Washington
- Jo Sabel-Courtney – Lamoille 1
- Kelsey Root-Winchester – Orange-Caledonia
- Kate MacLean – Orange 1
- Sarah Copeland-Hanzas – Orange 2**
- Katherine Sims – Orleans-Caledonia
- Robin Chestnut-Tangerman – Rutland Bennington**
- Mary Howard – Rutland 5-3**
- Stephanie Jerome – Rutland 6**
- Maxine Grad – Washington 7**
- Emilie Kornheiser – Windham 2-1**
- Mollie S. Burke – Windham 2-2
- Michelle Bos-Lun – Windham 4
- Jim Masland – Windsor-Orange 2
- Elizabeth Burrows – Windsor 1
- Logan Nicoll – Windsor 2-1**
- Heather Surprenant – Windsor 4-1
- Kevin “Coach” Christie – Windsor 4-2**
** indicates the candidate received an early endorsement. To qualify for an early endorsement from RAD, candidates must meet at least one of the following criteria: 1.) a current member of RAD, 2.) previously endorsed by RAD for the same office; or 3.) worked closely with RAD and RAD’s vision while in office.