Former Gov. Howard Dean has endorsed Democratic candidate Brenda Siegel to be Vermont’s next governor.
Siegel, an anti-poverty activist, launched her campaign in early May. It is her third statewide run for office after unsuccessful bids in the Democratic primary for governor in 2018 and for lieutenant governor in 2020. This year, Siegel was the only Democrat to enter the governor’s race, making her the presumptive nominee.
In a press release, Dean emphasized Siegel’s commitment to addressing the housing shortage, curbing the overdose crisis and supporting Vermont’s education system as reasons for his endorsement.
“Brenda has the right experience to effectively lead for all Vermonters, including those who have been left behind on issues like housing, education, and health care,” Dean said, citing Siegel’s successful push to legalize possession of buprenorphine in 2021 and her advocacy for an extension of the state’s pandemic housing program last year.
“Governor Dean has been a strong leader for Vermont and our country. He understands the need to reach Vermonters in all corners of our state and support working families,” Siegel said in the press release. “He was a leader on Civil Unions, paving the way for Marriage Equality and showing how our small state can lead a wave of change across the country when we have the courage to do what is right.”
Democrats have noted the difficulties in challenging incumbent Gov. Phil Scott in this election cycle. Scott is among the most popular governors in the nation, and incumbent Vermont governors have won every reelection attempt since 1962. Several other Democrats, including former House Speaker Shap Smith, former Lt. Gov. Doug Racine and 2016 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Sue Minter, told VTDigger this spring that they declined efforts by the Vermont Democratic Party to recruit them to run.
— Jenna Peterson