Last spring, I met Barb Wilson while sitting at Carol’s Hungry Mind Café. I overheard her discussing her run for state representative and introduced myself in a casual, inquisitive way. At the time, I was a part of a team of CCV instructors bargaining our first faculty contract, heavily engaged and somewhat dismayed by the process. Do you support this, do you support that? I asked. She was friendly and direct and told me she would love to meet with me to discuss her campaign goals.
Last spring, I also engaged in a conversation over email with Terry Norris, also currently running for state representative. His response to my email was brief and he said that he would not be running in November, so I would have a chance to vote for someone else. I thought this was an odd way to engage with a constituent, and, when I saw that Norris was running again, I was surprised. While Norris has no doubt served his community in many important ways as state representative, I wondered what motivated him to run again when he clearly had his mind made up last spring to step down.
I don’t know much about Norris, but I do know a lot about Barb Wilson, and the most important thing to know about her is that she is dedicated to her run for the statehouse and engaged in listening to what Vermonters of Addison-Rutland want from their representative. So much so that Barb has been knocking on doors and showing up at community gatherings to listen to her future constituents discuss their lives. She understands that building a better state begins with a conversation often in a kitchen over a good cup of coffee, and that it’s about doing the hard work of listening and then advocating for those she serves.
Barb grew up on a small dairy farm and currently runs her own small farm, she has advocated for environmental regulations that support clean water and air but understands the challenges farmers face right now. Barb is committed to the future of Vermont and through access to health care, higher education, job training, and affordable child care for all families, she believes that we can continue to grow as a state.
Barb’s vision is one that engages the communities of Vermont in creative, innovative ways that work to solve problems and expand the capacity for Vermont’s growth. As a parent, a teacher, a union member, and someone who cares deeply about the future of our state, I’m excited to vote for Barb and I hope you will too.
Emily Casey
Orwell