Woodstock’s Rep. Kimbell running for lieutenant governor
The U.S. and Vermont flags flying in Bridgewater, Vt. (Gareth Henderson File Photo)
Workforce issues and economic development have been top priorities for Charlie Kimbell during his time as a state representative. Now, the Woodstock resident hopes to impact those issues from a broader statewide perspective as Vermont’s lieutenant governor.
This week, Kimbell announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor, following Lt. Gov. Molly Gray’s recent decision to run for the U.S. House. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Peter Welch is running for the Senate, after longtime U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy’s announcement that he would not seek reelection.
In an interview Tuesday, Kimbell, a Democrat in his third term in the Vermont House, reflected on his time in that position.
“It’s been great to try to shape legislation that improves the lives of Vermonters, and also to help constituents get answers from state government, which they can find quite daunting at times,” he said.
Kimbell said the lieutenant governor role provides a larger way to impact statewide programs and policies, which was a key factor in throwing his hat in the ring.
“I look at this as an extension of what I’ve been doing, just as a greater opportunity to do it,” he said.
Kimbell, 57, grew up in St. Albans and is a Woodstock Union High School graduate. He graduated from the University of Vermont, where he was on the alpine ski team. He went on to work in several industries, including banking, retail, and sales and marketing, and is a former business owner. Kimbell and his wife, Carolyn, have three grown children, who also graduated from WUHS, and he has worked at the Woodstock-based software development company MISys for a total of eight years. He’s been active in the Woodstock community and is the former director of the Covered Bridges Half Marathon.
Kimbell noted that he’s worked in Vermont for his 35 years since college, and has lived in St. Albans, Brattleboro, and various points in between.
“I think I’ve got some great exposure to the needs of Vermonters, because I’ve lived it, and I can bring that to the office (of lieutenant governor),” he said. Kimbell represents Woodstock, Reading and Plymouth and is the vice chair of the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee.
If elected to that statewide position, Kimbell said he’d spend a lot of time focusing on Vermont’s current workforce shortage and the overall workforce development system, along with issues relating to the recovery from the pandemic.
Within that, key issues include cultivating paths to careers that can lift people out of poverty, having quality housing they can afford, and access to child care.
“How can we really focus on things that can benefit working Vermonters the most?” Kimbell said. “That’s what I’m going to be focusing on.”
Another idea Kimbell supports is forming a “Vermont Corps”, in which high school graduates can have in-state work experience which can point them toward a viable career, prior to incurring any college debt. In some cases, they might proceed to a more non-traditional path.
“There are a lot of careers where individuals can earn a substantial living without having a college degree,” Kimbell said.
On Monday, Kimbell became the first candidate to officially announce his run for the state’s second-highest office, but he could soon have company. Seven Days reported that former state Rep. Kitty Toll, a Democrat from Danville, is considering a run for lieutenant governor and former Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman is thinking about it as well. State Sen. Joe Benning, a Republican representing the Caledonia district, is considering running for that office, too, according to the Valley News.
— Gareth Henderson
