Rights & Democracy (RAD) members have voted to endorse a slate of twelve candidates across three communities during upcoming elections on Town Meeting Day.
Members in three RAD chapters in Vermont — Bennington, Burlington, and Rutland — recently questioned, interviewed, and then voted on whether to endorse nearly 20 candidates for Town Meeting Day elections.
In Burlington, members made selections in three contested city council races, and endorsed in several other council races, as well as school board. In Bennington, members endorsed two candidates for selectboard, and in Rutland, members endorsed candidates for the school board and board of alderman. The full list below.
In order to receive an endorsement, candidates first answered a standard questionnaire. Then, in some cases, they submitted video interviews explaining how their platforms aligned with RAD’s vision and values. That was followed by an online voting process that occurred this past weekend.
RAD’s thorough and transparent endorsement process is a key component in our Movement Politics work. Of the 42 legislative candidates we endorsed in 2018, 24 won election, or re-election, including several who flipped previously held Republican seats. This helped to create a legislative supermajority that, when they all stick together, can override any gubernatorial veto. In addition, 5 out of the current 12 Burlington City Councilors were endorsed and supported by RAD.
For the 2020 elections in Bennington, Burlington, and Rutland, RAD endorses the following candidates:
Bennington
- Bruce Lee Clark – Town of Bennington Select Board
- Tom Haley – Town of Bennington Select Board
Burlington
- Zoraya Hightower – Burlington City Council, Ward 1
- Max Tracy – Burlington City Council, Ward 2
- Brian Pine – Burlington CIty Council, Ward 3
- Nathan Lantieri, Burlington City Council, Ward 5
- Ali Dieng – Burlington CIty Council, Ward 7
- Jane Stromberg – Burlington City Council, Ward 8
- Monika Ivancic – Burlington School Board, Ward 7
- Aden Haji – Burlington School Board, Ward 8
Rutland
- Kevin Kiefaber – Rutland City School Board
- Cathy Solsaa – Rutland City School Board
- Michael Talbott – Rutland City Board of Aldermen