WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Housing, education funding and climate change readiness are major priorities of three Democratic candidates running for the Vermont Senate in the Windsor District — while a fourth candidate, a fiscal conservative, believes the state needs to rein in its spending.

Incumbents Sen. Alison Clarkson, D-Woodstock, and Sen. Rebecca “Becca” White, D-Hartford, and two challengers, Joe Major, of Hartford, and Justin Tuthill, of Pomfret, are seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination in the Windsor District to fill three seats in the state Senate.

One of the seats was held by state Sen. Dick McCormack, of Bethel, who is retiring after more than 30 years of legislative service.

In interviews conducted by email, the candidates discussed their top legislative priorities, along with climate change preparedness and funding schools.

Alison Clarkson

Clarkson, Senate majority leader and a former theatrical producer, is seeking a fifth term in the state Senate, where she has served since 2017. Prior to that, Clarkson served 12 years as a state representative.

“I believe that, at its best, government expresses our care and concern for each other,” Clarkson said. “It undertakes projects that need to be common endeavors — things we can’t do alone (and) that enable our common good.”

Such projects, she said, include education, assisting people living in poverty, infrastructure and improving the general standard of living.

On climate change, Clarkson said the state must continue its ongoing effort to rein in its fossil fuel consumption while also strengthening Vermont’s preparedness to respond to weather-related impact.

“Creating river corridors with robust wetlands to absorb more water, reinforcing our aging dams and building out of harm’s way will take years and a lot of money — but that work is underway,” Clarkson said.

She said she’s hopeful the Climate Superfund, a law enacted in May that authorizes the state to seek payments from fossil fuel companies based on their greenhouse gas emissions “will eventually help pay for the damages caused by the burning of fossil fuels and for the adaptations we need to make to mitigate climate change.”

On education funding, Clarkson said the state needs to develop a comprehensive and informed plan on how to equitably and sustainably meet the needs of students amid rising educational costs.

Her other legislative priorities include creating more housing to support the state’s workforce needs.

“The lack of housing for working Vermonters is affecting almost every business in our state, (as well as) the viability of our communities, schools and environment,” Clarkson said. “Vermont has been under-building housing for decades.”

Ways to spur housing growth, Clarkson said, include reducing regulatory barriers to building housing in downtowns or village centers, and providing state incentives to encourage infill development, such as accessory dwelling units or restoring vacant or blighted residential properties.

Joe Major

Major, 59, is Hartford’s current town treasurer and executive director of the Upper Valley Aquatic Center. He previously served two years on the Selectboard, including as vice chairman, and currently sits on the boards of several nonprofits, including Headrest, Upper Valley Haven and Friends of Dartmouth Health Cancer Center.

“My candidacy is rooted in the belief that a collaborative and forward-thinking approach can lead to meaningful and lasting change,” Major said. “Central to my campaign is the desire to help people and foster a sense of community resilience. I recognize the challenges many families and individuals encounter, from affordable housing shortages to health care access and quality job opportunities.”

On climate change, Major said he endorses a multifaceted approach that reduces carbon output and protects the state from the impacts of destructive weather-related events.

“For Vermont, this means investing in resilient infrastructure, enhancing early warning systems, and implementing sustainable land-use practices,” Major said. “Policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions are crucial to mitigating the long-term effects of climate change. Local governments and communities must also prioritize restoring natural landscapes, such as wetlands, which can act as buffers against flooding.”

On education funding, Major said the state needs to explore new and more equitable ways to raise revenues for schools. In addition to rising operating costs — including to align facilities and technology with modern educational standards — Vermont’s tax base is shrinking due to its small and declining population.

Ways to address these challenges could include seeking alternative revenue sources, such as public-private partnerships, exploring innovative and more efficient educational models and encouraging regional collaboration or school consolidation to reduce costs, he said. Major also suggested reforming the property tax system to make funding distributions more equitable between communities.

Access to affordable housing is a top legislative priority, Major said. If elected, he would support reforming zoning laws to encourage higher-density development, streamlining the permitting process to reduce delays and costs for developers, and removing barriers to homeownership through expanding programs that provide financial assistance to low- and middle-income families.

“By adopting a comprehensive approach that includes regulatory reform, financial assistance and innovative housing models, Vermont can work towards resolving its housing crisis and ensuring that all residents have access to safe and affordable homes,” Major said.

Justin Tuthill

Tuthill, 38, resides in Woodstock and works as a cook. He has not held public office before.

In 2020, Tuthill ran for the U.S. House as a Republican. He fell short in the primary, losing to Miriam Berry, of Essex Junction, Vt., by 3,400 votes.

Asked about the switch in parties, Tuthill explained that it made more sense strategically in 2020 to run in the Republican primary, where his candidacy could receive more consideration from voters than had he immediately taken on Peter Welch, D-Vt., then a seven-term incumbent.

“I’m not really interested in party tribalism,” Tuthill said. “What’s more important to me is what the (candidate) wants to accomplish and what they have accomplished.”

Tuthill said he does not factor party ideology into his political positions. When running for U.S. Congress, he advocated for policies that are traditionally championed by liberals, such as mandatory maternity and paternity leave. But he changed on many positions when running for state government because Vermont lacks sufficient resources to sustain its current spending levels, he said.

“We have an aging population and, with youth leaving the state, we will at one point be unable to fund our obligations — and how much more in taxes can we (raise) from the remaining workers?” he said.

On climate change, Tuthill said he is more concerned about “breaking the backs of Vermonters” on initiatives that will make minimal difference due to the state’s small population and geographic size.

More effective state environmental initiatives would include mitigating invasive species, and protecting infrastructure and water supplies from floods or other weather-related events, he said.

On education funding, Tuthill said the state’s first step should be to find and eliminate unnecessary spending.

“While I do not believe many areas of education are overfunded, as with everything government-related there is certainly unnecessary waste,” he said.

Becca White

White, 30, is currently the youngest member of the Senate and is seeking her second term. She previously served two terms as a state representative and four years on the Hartford Selectboard. She co-chairs the Climate Solutions Caucus, a legislative group.

“It has been the honor of my lifetime to represent the community that raised me and I have the enthusiasm and desire to improve the lives of folks in the Windsor District,” White said. “I grew up here, I understand the challenges and joys of living here, and I believe everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive in our community.”

On climate change, White says she worries in particular about the impacts of severe weather events, such as flooding and droughts, on people living in poverty, who are often impacted the most.

“My priorities (next legislative session) are funding the build-out of resilient infrastructure (such as) roads, bridges, culverts, and waste water and sewer treatment improvements, by providing financial support to municipalities who are on the front lines of these disasters,” White said.

On education funding, White said the Legislature needs to study ways to offset the impacts of increasing costs — including inflation, health care and the growing demand for mental health and social services — and declining federal funding.

White also supports setting a higher property tax rate on second homes owned in Vermont to help fund rising education costs. The state tax department is currently studying ways to distinguish between different types of properties, including by their use.

If reelected to the Senate, White said she would like to prioritize new ways to fund road and bridge infrastructure maintenance, improving the efficiency of vehicle travel to reduce the state’s carbon footprint and improving income equity.

Marc Nemeth

A fifth candidate, Marc Nemeth, an attorney from Royalton, is withdrawing from the Democratic primary due to a health concern but said, in a phone interview on Monday, he intends to run as an independent in the general election in November.

Nemeth said he was recently diagnosed with lymphoma and is beginning treatment. While he believes he will still be able to serve in public office, Nemeth said he did not want to risk being elected as a party nominee unless he’s certain he will be able to run in November.

Running as an independent will also allow him to demonstrate his ability to appeal to voters across a broader political spectrum, Nemeth added.

Vermont’s primary election for major party candidates will be held on Tuesday, Aug, 13. The general election for state and federal offices will be on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Visit the senior center’s website for more details. 

The Bugbee Senior Center, in White River Junction, will host a forum for all Windsor District Senate candidates on Tuesday, Aug. 6,, from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. 

Patrick Adrian may be reached at padrian@vnews.com or 603-727-3216.