One of the most competitive statewide races in Vermont this year is for Lieutenant Governor, which is elected separately from the governor. Wednesday evening, WCAX hosted a debate between the Democratic candidates, including the incumbent.
Democrat/Progressive David Zuckerman is seeking his fourth nonsequential term. Zuckerman held the office from 2017 until 2021. He then unsuccessfully ran for governor and in the following election won back the lieutenant governor’s seat.
Zuckerman now faces Thomas Renner, the Deputy Mayor of Winooski. First elected to its City Council in 2022, Renner is a member of the Vermont Professionals of Color Network and is openly gay.
The two Democrats were asked how they would work with Republican Phil Scott if elected. Renner replied that he prides himself on working across the aisle.
“I am confident that I will be able to work with Governor Scott if he is reelected, to have the conversations that need to happen in order to move the best policies forward for Vermont,” Renner said.
Zuckerman said he has good relationships with legislative leaders and it’s the state’s Republican governor that keeps his office at arm’s length.
“With respect to the governor, he chose many years ago, within a month of the election, to say we’re not having the Lieutenant Governor as part of the Governor’s cabinet,” Zuckerman said. “I will continue to reach out. I think we have ideas we can work on to make government more efficient between human services and education in particular. And I will continue to bring ideas where I think we can bridge the divide.”
Vermonters face significant increases in property taxes and the candidates were asked what they would do to reduce them.
Renner noted that Winooski’s proposed budget included a 14 percent tax increase that he helped reduce to 8 percent.
“We need to look at new revenue sources to fund education,” said Renner. “We need to be creative about how we are handling education.”
Zuckerman countered that being creative is a nice concept, but doesn’t provide specifics.
“There are numerous places where we can change the spending formula,” noted Zuckerman. “We have to look at reducing the bureaucracy and a more streamlined system for those kids so they get better services in the schools.”
Vermont experienced catastrophic flooding in July 2023. Severe flooding occurred a few months later in in December and last month there were two more devastating floods in the state. The candidates were asked if the state needs to take more aggressive action regarding climate resiliency.
Renner said officials must follow through on their statements to build back better.
“We need to build in a way that is resilient, that can withstand these floods. Hopefully we do not have any more, but we know that there is a possibility that it could happen and we need to make sure that we are setting up our towns and our cities so they can be resilient when these catastrophic events rip through their towns,” said Renner. “And a lot of that is going to be relying on our federal delegation. As Vermonters it’s going to be hard to pay for that so we’re really going to have to seek out those grants and seek out that money from the federal government to help with the infrastructure needs that we’re going to need in Vermont, that we need right now in Vermont.”
Incumbent Zuckerman said several bills in the last legislative session addressed flooding and climate change.
“As a farmer I am seeing these impacts every day, the diseases on my crops, the yield losses. This is impacting everybody incredibly powerfully for those in those river corridors, but everybody across the state,” noted Zuckerman. “We have to do more. I’ve been an outspoken supporter of solar energy and wind energy, which almost no other statewide official is willing to stand for. We have to do more renewable energy in Vermont.”
Zoraya Hightower, a former Burlington city councilor, is the only Progressive candidate for Lieutenant Governor.
Gregory Thayer and John Rodgers are running in the Republican primary for LG.
Primary day is August 13th. Early voting is under way.
