Thank you for your support on Election Day! I am thrilled to be returning to Montpelier to represent the Addison District and I’m honored to be your state senator.
Democracy, reproductive rights, and women’s representation were on the ballot this election. Your vote helped protect and advance all three. And, because of your ongoing support, I was able to dedicate much of my campaign time to these important issues. You may not have seen as many of my signs around town or flyers in your doors or mailboxes as in past years, but I was working hard to help other campaigns and continue to provide vital information and services to my constituents.
Many of the Republican candidates around the state and country, including my opponents, were deniers of COVID, climate change, and fair elections, actively campaigning to undermine democracy, public health, and environmental protections. Indeed, I was shocked to learn just how extreme my opponents were. I worked for candidates in races against some of these extremists, including Peter Welch’s campaign for U.S. Senate, Jubilee McGill running for House in Addison-5, my colleague Mark MacDonald in Orange County, and several candidates in Rutland County, knocking on doors and/or attending events for all of them.
On election night, Vermont became the first state to enshrine reproductive rights in its state constitution. After championing the Reproductive Liberty Amendment in the Senate, I advocated for voter support of the Amendment at events, during many conversations with voters, and extensive written pieces countering misinformation spread by anti-choice opponents of the amendment. With the overwhelming passage of Article 22, Vermonters can be assured that their reproductive rights are protected against undue state interference. After a lifetime of work fighting for reproductive justice, I could not be more gratified.
Women were elected in historic numbers up and down the ballot. Vermont is finally sending its first woman to Congress, my friend Becca Balint. Women were also elected statewide as Attorney General and Secretary of State, and 45% of the state legislative seats will be held by women next session, the highest percentage in state history. I worked to recruit, train, advise, support, and champion women running for office across the state (and in other states too!), building on my past work as Executive Director of Emerge Vermont, which has played an enormous role in advancing women in elected office in Vermont. For the first time ever, more than half of the Democratic senators in Vermont will be women, including three who were in my Emerge classes. We are shattering the glass ceiling across the state.
Those of us in power should always work to empower others, and that’s what I tried to do during this campaign season. I was out in the field running for re-election and supporting democracy, reproductive rights, women in politics, and the statewide Democratic team. Many politicians talk about how politics is a team sport, but I actually live it. And, I’m honored to have you on my team too!
I will be back in Montpelier in January working hard for you. Please reach out to let me know your priorities. Once again, thank you. Together we protected democracy and reproductive rights, and helped record numbers of women in Vermont win seats at the table.
Ruth for Vermont 