As a long-time supporter of Senator Claire Ayer, I can think of no better candidate to replace her in the Vermont Senate than Ruth Hardy. Ruth is a deeply engaged, thoughtful, wise individual who has contributed on many levels to our state and who is poised to be a strong female leader in the legislature.
Ruth brings an unusual breadth of experience across areas that are meaningful to Vermonters, with her background as the highly regarded chair of the Mary Hogan School Board, her work in leading the Addison County School District finance committee in development of the first unified school district budget, her astute budgeting work at Middlebury College during the financial crisis, and her commitment to health care access as director of the Open Door Clinic.
Moreover, her most recent professional work as Executive Director of Emerge Vermont, training Democratic women to run for public office at all levels across the state, has an exemplary record of success. At this point in time in our nation, we need strong female leaders who will support others and who will transcend partisanship, which Ruth does particularly well.
Among the conversations I have had with Ruth that stand out for me is one about her love of talking to students about civic engagement, something she regularly volunteers to do. As a working mother of three, Ruth cares deeply about the next generation and making sure Vermont is doing all it can to nurture good citizenship and engagement.
What strikes me about Ruth is how she always does her part to make this world and our state a better place, and that she’s also exceptionally good at getting others to care and act. This is the leadership we need in our Senate and I think Addison County voters are lucky to have such a candidate eager to serve in this capacity. Vote for Ruth!
Barbara Hofer
Middlebury