Local Democrats Aim High

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Created on Tuesday, 22 September 2015 17:42

Written by Alex Paduch

St. Johnsbury - While the presidential candidates have been zig-zagging across the country for months, local political parties are just starting to get their gears turning. The St. Johnsbury Democratic Committee held it's bi-annual reorganizational meeting at the St. Johnsbury Welcome Center last night.

 Those on hand began to organize a strategy on how to gain votes in the historically republican part of the state. Michelle Fay, State Represantitive and Chair of the St. Johnsbury Democratic Committee, is confident that this campaign effort will do just that.

The local committee focuses on elections for state legislature positions, and works to bring more democrats to Montpelier.

"In recent years, we've hit some strategical in-roads. We had, I think for the first time ever two democrats elected [to the state legislature] in 2012."

The problem that democrats in the area face is the unique cultural makeup of the Northeast Kingdom compared to more urban areas of the state, such as Burlington and Rutland. The area is virtually completely rural, save for towns like Lyndon and St. Johnsbury. Additionally, theaverage age of the population is older than other areas, which also helps keep the Kingdom red on the map. 

Results of the 2012 Vermont State Represantative and Senate elections. Note how the Northeast Kingdom is predominatelyred across both elections. SOURCE: VTDigger.com.

Fay says the culture is beginning to change, starting with those who are proud to be part of the democratic party. "To be one of the first people to raise their hand and say 'Actually, I'm a democrat'. When you run for office anywhere, you're putting yourself out here and making yourself vunerable."

For some, the 2016 election is an opportunity to get involved in politics after sitting on the sidelines for a few years. "Let's confess, I know very little about the Democratic party and what has been happning in it in the last couple of decades", said Susan Ohdidal after the meeting."I think 2016 is going to be a really exciting year in politics from local, to state, to national elections".

As the group works throughout the next year or so, what they want to gain most is the sense of prominence in the area. 

"I think we're interested in creating community", said Fay. "Part of that is helping people realize that there are like-minded people around who share their values."