In run for Congress, Balint focuses on unity, working families

The U.S. and Vermont flags flying in Bridgewater, Vt. (Gareth Henderson File Photo)

In a time of division, Vermont Sen. Becca Balint is looking to bring people together — and now she hopes to do that in Washington as Vermont’s next representative to Congress. 

She announced her candidacy for the U.S. House on Monday, a week after fellow Democrat Lt. Gov. Molly Gray did the same. They'll square off in the Democratic primary next year for the opportunity to become the first woman to serve Vermont in Congress. The incumbent, U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), is running for Senate for the seat that will be vacated when longtime U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) retires next year.

Balint is no stranger to breaking barriers. In January, she became the first woman and the first openly gay Vermonter to serve as the state Senate’s president pro tempore. For the first time, the top four leadership roles in Vermont’s General Assembly are all held by women.

In Balint’s U.S. House campaign, the needs of working families are front and center. She often hears from Vermonters who are exhausted from dealing with the pandemic and its many impacts.

“Many folks are at their wits’ end dealing with childcare center closures, COVID infections at their kids’ schools, and having to miss work due to quarantining,” Balint said in an email Wednesday. “Our businesses, our schools, and even our medical centers are struggling. I’m going to DC to fight for Vermont working families. We need a progressive agenda that lifts up working people.”

Balint, who was first elected to the Senate in 2014, said we need to be dedicated to working together to succeed. 

“We can’t tackle these challenges if we remain divided,” Balint said. “We have deep — sometimes dangerous — divisions in our country, our state, and sometimes even with our neighbors and families. But despite all the darkness around us, I know we can still get to a better place.”

She expressed a perseverance in working with others, even with those who disagree. 

“As a leader, I know that the way to make change and to bring people together is to keep showing up. To never turn away from one another,” Balint said. “Growing up I knew I was gay, and I felt like I didn’t belong. I learned that even with people who said hateful things, if I had the courage to keep showing up and engaging, change was possible.”

In her prior role as Senate majority leader, she worked intensively on paid family leave legislation, which ran into a veto from Gov. Phil Scott, but the issue remains a top priority for Balint. She was also a key part of the effort to pass a minimum wage increase. Additionally, Balint was involved in passing the state’s largest-ever investment in affordable housing. As pro tem, she worked to make a huge $150 million investment in broadband access for rural Vermonters. 

“These were all tough fights,” Balint said. “But I never turned away from those who disagreed, and I stayed in the fight. That’s who I am. That’s everyday courage. If there was ever a place that needed everyday courage right now it’s Washington.”

Balint, 53, lives in Brattleboro with her wife and two children and represents Windham County in the Senate. Balint has earned degrees from Smith College, the School of Education at Harvard University, and, after teaching social studies for several years, a master’s degree in history from the University of Massachusetts.

— Gareth Henderson

Lt. Gov. Molly Gray running for U.S. House

The U.S. and Vermont flags flying in Bridgewater, Vt. (Gareth Henderson File Photo)

Vermont’s lieutenant governor has kicked off her campaign for the U.S. House. 

Lt. Gov. Molly Gray (D) announced her candidacy on Monday, about a week after U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) confirmed that he was running for the Senate seat to be vacated by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who is not seeking reelection next year. If elected to the U.S. House, Gray would become the first woman to represent Vermont in Congress.

Gray, a native Vermonter, was sworn in as Vermont’s 82nd lieutenant governor in January 2020. In an interview with WCAX this week, Gray said she understands the issues facing Vermonters, which include a lack of affordable housing and the need for affordable health care and child care.

“I have the experience not only to be ready on day-one, to get an office open and off the ground and to get to work for Vermonters, but I have a deep understanding of the needs of our state, and I’ve served as lieutenant governor and I’ll continue to serve throughout the rest of my term,” Gray told WCAX on Monday. 

Gray, 37, is a former assistant attorney general for the state, and she grew up on her family’s farm in Newbury, Vermont. She attended college at the University of Vermont. After graduating from UVM, she helped elect Welch to Congress and worked for him as a Congressional aide in Washington, D.C. Gray would later spend three years working for the Red Cross engaging the U.S. on humanitarian issues. 

Her strong interest in human rights followed Gray back to her home state, where she attended Vermont Law School. She later helped launch the International Code of Conduct Association, the first global initiative mandated to oversee the human rights compliance of private security contractors.

Mike Smith to retire from agency leadership role

Following a long career in state government, Secretary Mike Smith will retire from the top job at the Vermont Agency of Human Services at the end of the year. 

This will cap Smith’s second stint leading the state’s largest agency. Over the past two years, Smith has been a central figure in the state’s response during the COVID-19 pandemic — including overseeing the state’s vaccination efforts. He was appointed to the agency’s secretary role in late 2019, coming out of retirement to take the familiar job. 

“I don’t think he knew what he was getting himself into, because within a month the pandemic began,” Gov. Phil Scott said at his regular Tuesday press conference. “I think back on how fortunate we were that his wife, Mary, allowed him to come back, because without him, I’m not sure we would have led the nation in so many categories, from testing, to vaccination and beyond.” 

At Tuesday’s briefing, Smith thanked the governor, his voice breaking with emotion as he offered the following words:

“As a former Navy SEAL, the height of compliment in leadership is when you say that you would go into battle with someone, and I would go into battle any day with the governor,” Smith said. 

In a Monday announcement from Scott’s office, Smith said though the pandemic kept him in his current role longer than expected, it was still tough to leave the job. 

“There will never be a good time to leave. When I told the Governor of my intention to retire this summer, I thought we would be well on our way toward the endemic phase of this public health crisis,” Smith said in the statement. “The Delta variant has made our jobs a bit more difficult, but nonetheless, we have testing and vaccination programs that are the envy of the rest of the country and we have protected many Vermonters from the more serious outcomes of this virus. … I am very proud of the work that the Agency has accomplished over the last two years, and I am confident the Agency will continue to thrive.”

Smith, who grew up in Woodstock, Vermont, served in the U.S. Navy, first with the Underwater Demolition Team 21 and then as a member of SEAL Team Two. He served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 1977-78 and as deputy state treasurer from 1995-99. Smith also served as the secretary of the Agency of Administration and secretary of the Agency of Human Services in the administration of Gov. Jim Douglas.

Deputy Human Services Secretary Jenney Samuelson, who has played a key role in the state’s COVID-19 response, will serve as interim secretary following Smith’s departure.

In addition to its role in the pandemic response, the Agency of Human Services oversees six state departments (including the Department of Health), 12 district offices, and a network of community partners and providers.

— Gareth Henderson

An historic day for Vermont leadership

For the first time, Vermont is beginning its legislative session with the House, Senate and lieutenant governor's office all being led by women, and Vermont Gov. Phil Scott recognized this historic occasion in his welcoming remarks to the Legislature Thursday.

The new leadership includes Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski, Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint, Senate Majority Leader Alison Clarkson and Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray — all with the Democratic majority. After a small swearing-in ceremony, Scott also recognized that the House caucuses each have female leaders as well: Rep. Patti McCoy (R), Rep. Emily Long (D) and Rep. Selene Colburn (P).

Scott said this day in Vermont leadership was "long overdue."

"We should all be proud of these milestones and appreciate the history they’ve made," he said.

Vermont's Republican governor also spoke about vandalism and violence that occurred Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol.

"Seeing our Capitol — a symbol of democracy around the world — stormed by this mob of traitors was heartbreaking," Scott said. "The fact that these flames of hate and insurrection were lit by the President of the United States will be remembered as one of the darkest chapters in our nation’s history."

In his inaugural address to the state on Thursday evening, Scott said American voters sent a clear message that they want a different kind of leadership, that treats people of all parties with respect. Scott said that approach is critical, especially in the midst of the ongoing pandemic.

"The challenges we face demand the very best of all of us, that we rise above the partisanship and division, the pettiness and political games, to commit to the tough work ahead, to get through this crisis safer and stronger, and to do it together," he said.

In Vermont, Scott said the pandemic has put the spotlight on major challenges, such as inequities in remote learning access, the struggles of the state college system, the severe impact on businesses and job loss, and the need for workforce training.

"And with all of this, we see the urgency to build a more diverse and resilient economy and make Vermont more affordable for families and businesses," Scott said.

Among his goals for Vermont this year include expanding the state's tax increment funding program to spur local development, and also modernizing Act 250, the statewide land use law. In his annual budget proposal, he'll call for a property tax exemption for licensed preschool programs, to boost state help for child care. Scott also proposes to organize all the state’s child development work within the Agency of Education. Additionally, the governor has asked his administration to develop a plan to get every Vermont student back to full-time, in-person learning by the end of the school year, and perhaps by April.

To watch, listen or read the governor’s 2021 inaugural address in full, click here.

— Gareth Henderson

Independence

Independence is a powerful word, one that takes on greater meaning when July 4th comes around. But it needs careful thought in 2020, given the great weight of the issues facing us as a nation. 

To me, independence is not only having the strength to find one’s own path in life, but having the strength to summon one’s best attributes and help others, especially when it's a really tough road ahead. The result? A strong community that draws on its own strength, and can be a light to other people. 

As I write this, I'm proud of Vermont. We, the Vermont community, have been a light of leadership during the pandemic, at the state and community levels. We can continue that by remembering the wonderful moments of neighborly love and care that inspired us in recent months, and emulating them. 

I'm also proud because, through voices of all ages, Vermont has sent a strong message of standing up to injustice and inequality. So far, state, regional and local leaders have fostered an inclusive and poised approach that welcomes others to the discussion. That's the Vermont way, and it's a comforting example amid ongoing national tensions. 

Going forward, let's strive for inclusive problem-solving that rises above negative, reactive thinking. For progress to be made, we must continue to seek a better, meeker understanding of one another, as the state seeks a constructive path into our future. Vermont has laid the groundwork for such an approach, and it sparks rays of hope.

Fortunately, we each have opportunities to learn anew, and help build solutions that benefit all of us. Let's seize this moment to build progress together, while crafting an example for the nation.

— Gareth Henderson