TOWNSHEND — In the months leading up to last Tuesday's election, hundreds of Windham County residents participated in my campaign for the Vermont Senate.
I am grateful to those who hosted and attended “meet and greet” parties, to those who displayed my signs on their lawns, to those who contributed money, to those who endorsed me publicly, to those who made calls on my behalf, and to those who stood at the polls with my signs and literature on a pleasant primary day in August and the decidedly chilly Tuesday of the general election.
Jill Spiro, my campaign manager, is the most organized person I know, and she did a brilliant job of coordinating this effort.
I am delighted that I will be joined in Montpelier by Sen. Jeanette White, who has represented our county well for the last eight years.
Politics is not just about winning. A campaign also serves to educate the public and to promote dialogue.
Hilary Cooke did just that by running a thoughtful and civil campaign that highlighted the issues of health care and the economy. Although he did not prevail in this election, I am sure he has more to contribute to our county and state. I also commend Lynn Corum and Aaron Diamondstone for putting their names forward and thereby giving voters a range of choices from one end of the ideological spectrum to the other.
Most of all, I am grateful to the voters of Windham County. In my campaign, Republicans, Progressives and independents supported me in addition to my fellow Democrats. Not everyone will agree with me all the time, but I take very seriously my promise to represent all of Windham County, and I continue to believe we can find common ground if we look for it.
We face difficult challenges ahead but also opportunities. We can best address our state's fiscal crisis by growing our economy, and that means getting 21st-century infrastructure in place throughout Windham County, preserving Vermont's natural environment, encouraging quality schools that make our state an attractive place to live and work, and making progress toward the goal of affordable health care for all.