Candidates

I am so enthused and honored to have such highly-qualified, passionate, devoted team players at my side -- and we need more! If you or someone you know is willing to run for office in Vermont, please get in touch.

Alice Flanders
House - Windsor 4-2

Alice has worked as a high school math teacher, payroll manager, assistant resource manager for Navy Space Systems Division at the Pentagon, Administrative Officer for "Operation Fiery Vigil" (a Navy evacuation and repatriation mission following the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines), Naval Aerospace Engineer overseeing US nuclear warfare capabilities, and a Certified Naval Master Instructor at the Surface Warfare Officers School Command. Alice earned a BA in Math and a Master’s Degree, has received multiple military commendations, and has devoted much of her life to serving America. Proficient in French and Russian, Mrs. Flanders’ passion for languages also extends to Russian, Japanese and Hebrew. This remarkable woman now offers her extensive skills to Vermonters in 2020.

Bill Huff
Senate - Orange District

A 35-year resident of Thetford, Bill worked as an airline captain for nearly 30 years, and as a Certified Financial Planner for 23 years. Bill brings his extensive skillset to serve Vermonters in a time when our state desperately needs professional financial planning. Captain Huff has been married 36 years, and is an accomplished chef and woodcarver.

Bob Readie
House - Washington-7

Bob’s training has centered on hazardous material training and research. He is a Vermont Environmental Health and Safety Officer, and has taught in colleges in his areas of expertise. Mr. Readie resides in Warren with his wife Lisa. They care for four rescue dogs, including a blind border collie. Bob brings his unique training to serve Vermonters in the Statehouse, and is deeply committed to improving the bloated regulatory and tax burden which is stifling the Vermont economy and working Vermonters.

Brock Coderre
House - Washington-Chittenden

Brock studied Business Administration, Law, and Finance at Vermont Technical College in Randolph for four years, graduating in 2012. He then moved to Burlington to work, and to experience Vermont's more bustling and socially active communities. Brock has always been motivated to give back to the same support systems that helped him achieve his potential, beginning with his hundreds of hours of volunteered community service before graduating high school. Serving his community has always seemed like the right thing to do: running for office is the logical next step! Vermont's younger political minds must voice their opinions about how to best save this state from financial ruin. Brock understands hard work and practical business sense: he worked construction for years, as well as in accounting and clerical jobs, and was employed selling and installing solar panels for years. These experiences have provided him with unique insights and experience to serve voters in 2020 and beyond!

Charles Wilson
Senate - Caledonia District

Charles has lived in Vermont for over thirty years and has a great concern for the future direction and leadership of our state. He plans to be a strong voice of the people to assure that all may live and have Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. He spent his youth outside of Allentown, Pa. the son of two kind and gifted parents, and went on to Fishburne Military School in Virginia followed by two years of college. Coming to Vermont in 1986, he started WILSON ENTERPRISES as a painting contractor, which he owned and operated for thirty years. Along with his wife Alanna, they owned a 60-acre farm in Sheffield for 15 years and then lived in Stowe/Morrisville for 10 years. Currently they own and operate a small business in Lyndon. Over the past 34 years, he has seen Vermont change. Even before the pandemic he had witnessed State and Federal Constitutional Rights threatened (including the 1st. and 2nd. Amendments), mainstay dairy and agricultural farms overregulated, taxes being pressed upon Vermonters without their consent, and the rights of the unborn taken away without mercy. Charles will be seeking the Support and Vote of the people of Caledonia County as we endeavor together to save Vermont.

Chris Viens

Chris is a true-blue Vermonter, well-respected in Waterbury for a lifetime of proven hard work and integrity. His family now counts nine generations of Vermonters. Chris has operated his own businesses, in excavation, concrete, and construction. He has always held a strong work ethic, and started his first successful business at 21. He is very close with his family, and has been married for nearly 40 years to his High School sweetheart. Chris served Waterbury as a Selectman for ten years (including as Chair), where he proved that fiscal restraint and integrity work well at the local level -- he is convinced those are needs at the state level in 2020! Chris is running as an Independent. The policies of restraining government bureaucracy and taxes, returning school oversight to local control, and preserving Vermont's constitutional protections, are priorities that Chris passionately supports. In particular, Mr. Viens has taken on the issues of school and government efficiency, and has many creative ideas grounded in his business experience to curtail bureaucratic excess and improve efficiencies in government.

Dave Soulia
House - Rutland-6

A fifth generation Vermonter, Dave has worked in many trades, including his own business as a painting and papering contractor, as a Humane Society shelter manager, Medical Records Analyst and Phlebotomist, and a number of positions as a graphic artist, webmaster, and computer programmer. Presently he raises and sells meat animals (pigs, chickens, and sheep) as Blackpowder Farm. Mr. Soulia served in the Navy, as well as on the Pittsford Planning Commission, the Rutland Regional Planning Commission, and as a Justice of the peace. Married more than twenty years, Dave has four children for whom he hopes to create a better future in Vermont.

DawnMarie Tomasi
Senate - Washington District

DawnMarie and her family are property owners, so they have seen taxes swell. With college degrees in Business Management and Computer management, Dawnmarie also has degrees in child rearing (five teenagers!), running her own business (including a daycare, soapmaking, farming, and other ventures), running others’ businesses (including management at a prominent flooring, and customer service at a family-run food service business), and community volunteer work (PTO, organizing charitable events, VAST trail system volunteer, youth coaching, Finance Chair of the Washington County GOP, Vermont Traditions Coalition, and Women Gun Owners of Vermont, and much other contribution). DawnMarie is standing up to serve her fellow Vermonters, so that they and her children can enjoy the culture, liberties, and future hopes that she was privileged to experience as a Vermonter. Those foundations must be preserved and defended, and 2020 is the year!

Ericka Redic
Senate - Chittenden District

Born and raised in Vermont, Ericka earned a BS in Accounting from Champlain College, and has operated her own accounting consultancy firm (“I love your money”) for the past six years. Her husband Benjamin is a filmmaker and entrepreneur. One of this couple’s latest business ventures has been the purchase of Ericka’s grandmother’s apartment building in Burlington’s New North End. This exposed Ericka to the degree of regulatory and political constraints on Vermont’s business owners. This awareness has revealed to Mrs. Redic the economic realities which force those Vermonters who can afford to flee the state for economic survival, and she has stepped forward to reverse this fiscal carnage. Ericka is not at all shy -- voters may catch her singing an old Etta James tune with a blues band, or doing improv at The Comedy Club.

Jacob Holmes
House - Windsor-1

Jacob Holmes was born and raised in Hartland Vermont. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Castleton State College, he joined the Vermont Army National Guard and drilled out of Bennington, Vermont for six years. He then went on to graduate from Southern New Hampshire University with high honors in Criminal Justice. Jacob has worked as a local law enforcement officer since 2013. He currently resides in North Hartland with his wife and two young boys. Jacob’s focus will be on supporting law enforcement as well as emergency personnel whose main goal is to keep the community safe. Jacob wants to get people back into the work force, support local businesses and farmers, and bring local Vermont voices to the forefront of today’s current issues.

Jeannine Young
House - Orleans-Caledonia

A lifelong resident of the beautiful Northeast Kingdom, Jeannine resides in Craftsbury with her husband Joe (a retired Border Patrol agent), where she has been town moderator for years. Jeannine offers her management and community service experience to serve her constituents. A graduate of Woodbury College (paralegal), she was the Derby Water & Sewer Commissioner for 15 years, has worked as an administrative assistant to businesses through permitting processes, and has worked (and volunteered) in different school systems over the years. Jeannine says “We need an economy that works for our farmers so they can stay in business and for businesses so they can provide jobs for Vermonters. Our communities know best what students need.” Mrs. Young has worked for decades as a volunteer in her community, helping raise over $25,000 since 2008 for area organizations -- without government subsidy. She and her husband are avid gardeners, sharing surplus produce with many in the community. Jeannine will listen patiently and thoughtfully to all voter voices before making any decisions as their representative. She understands the importance of the state and federal Constitutions, and she understands that Vermont needs strong determined leadership in 2020 to repair problems of overspending and over-regulation at the Vermont State House.

John Lyddy
Senate - Windham District

John Lyddy is a candidate Senate in Windham County. John attended Georgetown University. He spent 22 years in Washington DC. He owned his own research and direct marketing agency for 15 years, and has worked for several fortune 100 companies as an internal marketing consultant. John moved permanently to Vermont 20 years ago. If elected to the Vermont Senate, John will be working for a new direction in business, to change Act 250 revisions, block Act 688 regulations, revise red flag laws, and change various regulations affecting middle income families and the elderly. John is the Founder of Green Mountain Conservatives for a Better Vermont

Jon Christiano
Senate - Addison District

Jon Christiano, a write-in candidate for the Vermont Senate from Addison County, is a conservative both politically and fiscally, and he believes that "this is a time for decisive action in Vermont". He is currently serving a second three-year term as a Lister with the Town of New Haven where he resides with his wife of 35 years. He was the Chair of the New Haven town committee for four years and chaired the Addison County Republican Committee for four years. He holds a BS in Business Administration and was last Employed by IBM as a Senior Buyer of capital equipment. He served overseas in the US Navy. He is a parent and grandparent and he is an active member of a local church.

Jon Lynch
House - Chittenden 9-2 - Colchester

An 18-year resident of Colchester, Jon lives with his wife Kimberly and two sons Andrew (22) and Zachary (5). A first-generation British-American, Jon immigrated from the UK in 1994 and is now firmly rooted in Vermont. He holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Computer Science from prestigious Cambridge University in the UK. A software engineer of 30 years, he has worked for several small and large Vermont and New England companies before starting his own business. Jon put Boston-based career website pioneer Monster.com on the map - as Vice President of Engineering he created its first ever website and then grew the startup from 15 employees to over 6,000 in 35 countries. Although currently sidelined with a knee injury Jon is an avid hiker, runner and triathlete. He can often be seen running (and limping) the bike paths in Colchester and swimming open-water off the shores of Lake Champlain. If you see him, please throw him a donut - he's probably hungry. Jon’s main goals as a legislator will be to rebuild our economy, lower our cost of living, increase the efficiency of government and address our demographic crisis. Jon’s analytical mindset, passion for problem-solving and his contagious energy will be a great asset to the Vermont State legislature.

Ken Alger
Senate - Washington District

Ken is a seventh-generation Vermonter who has lived and worked here his entire life. Ken seeks to serve to improve Vermont for all citizens, especially by restoring Constitutional protections, reducing government overreach, and imposing sensible fiscal balance in Montpelier. Ken’s family all still reside in Vermont. Ken has worked hard all his life, and worked on his grandfather’s dairy farm during and after High School. He has been a commercial flooring installer for thirty years. Ken has been active in his community in many ways over the years, including work on the Barre Town bike path committee, a volunteer for Barre Town bulk waste collection, teaching gun safety to youth (NRA Eddie Eagle program), service as an officer in various clubs, and service as an NRA-certified basic pistol and rifle instructor. Ken is a competitive shooter, a passionate supporter of Constitutional protections, and a proven contributor to his community and Vermont.

Lynn Dike
House - Addison-4

Lynn was raised in Orange, MA, the oldest of nine children. She was married to her first husband, Rick, for 21 years and had 3 children. Rick was in the Army so their family had to move often, in the US and overseas. Lynn started her ’nursing career’ in 1969 as a nurse’s aide, continuing her education when able, and graduating from Norwich University in 1986. Working most in Nursing and Rehab centers, she has also taught LNA classes, childbirth classes and ended her career an RN as a LNA Licensing test Evaluator for the Red Cross. Lynn’s nursing and military experiences have given her a broad world view which includes both military and civilian life. She moved to Bristol in 1992 when marrying Lloyd who was a Rural Mail Carrier with a background in Agriculture. They have enjoyed working together raising animals, growing huge vegetable gardens, and making apple cider in the fall and maple syrup in the spring. Lynn says, “Watching our 6 grandchildren grow up to be the wonderful young adults that they are has probably been the most rewarding parts of my life.” She is running for the House in the hopes of ensuring that they can ALL continue to enjoy liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Marc Parish
Senate - Windham County

Marc Parish is running a WRITE-IN campaign for one of the Windham County Senate seats. He and his family moved from Melbourne Florida 2 years ago to Bellows Falls, Vermont to give his youngest daughter a better and safer place to live and grow up. Marc is into race cars and motorcycles, and previously enjoyed playing in a band. When younger, Marc would listen to his father and his father’s friends talk about politics and said one day he will do something good for the people in his community. Marc met his wife of 22 years, Melissa of Saxton River/ Bellows Falls, while in Vermont snowboarding many years ago. They now have 3 beautiful girls, 2 are in college, and the youngest will be entering her High School years. Marc and Melissa plan to retire in Vermont and hope to enjoy grandchildren who will remain here also. Marc comes from a military family and therefore traveled extensively around the globe learning how other cultures function, perhaps even borrowing a few hints here and there that could improve our state. He has had a dream to join the Republican team and bring change to where change is needed. Marc Parish is running for the Windham County Senate Seat because he believes that the people of Windham and their ideas should be heard in the State House. Marc says, “I hope to be the VOICE OF THE PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE”.

Mike F. Kell Sr.
House - Windsor-2

Mike Kell is a resident of Cavendish, Vermont. He and his wife Deborah have resided at the Black Horse Farm since 2012. He is announcing as a WRITE-IN candidate for Vermont House of Representatives representing Cavendish and Weathersfield. Mike is a retired public-school administrator and a retired U.S. Army Infantry Major, active and reserve. He has served as principal of Windsor High School and recently as education director of the Meadows Education Center, Brattleboro Retreat. He has served as a school board member in rural New York, and served as chair for Adams-Hanover Children and Youth in Gettysburg, Pa. Mike attends the Brownsville Community Church and is a member of the United States Army Reserve Officer Association and the Military Officer Association. He holds a B.A. in history from SUNY Geneseo, a master’s degree in human development from Rochester University, and a CAS in education administration. Mike says, “I am running to represent the residents of Weathersfield and Cavendish. My focus will not be Washington, DC or Burlington. It will be where we live. I believe in local school control, school choice, lowering taxes, and bringing good paying jobs to this region. I believe we cannot bring positive changes without bipartisan work. I believe in working together to make Vermont affordable for all Vermonters.”

Mike Hall
Senate - Bennington County

Mike Hall is running as a WRITE-IN CANDIDATE for the Bennington County Senate. Mike is a native Vermonter, born in Manchester, raised and schooled in Sunderland. He was the last group of students to be schooled in the area’s one room schoolhouses. Both of his parents were blue collar workers in the furniture trade. Mike is the youngest of 5 children who all made Vermont their home. Mike and his wife of 44 years, Denise, have one daughter, Tracie. Mike always had an interest in police work and after working several years as a Constable in Sunderland and for the Bennington County Sheriffs’ Department, was hired by the Manchester Police in 1983. He worked his way up the ranks, becoming the Chief in November 2011. He retired in 2019 after 36 years of service. Many have encouraged Mike to run for political office. Like so many others with similar concerns over the direction Vermont is headed, he has decided to do it. Mike says, “As anyone who lives here knows, keeping your head above water in Vermont has never been easy, but life in Vermont was worth the sacrifice because of its beauty and lifestyle. But the cost of living here has outpaced our income and has made Vermont unaffordable for the working-class person. Our Legislature has lost its way from tending to the needs of its people, or at least the tax-paying people. It has become a launchpad for special interest groups to push through legislation that is not in the best interests of Vermonters.” Mike supports: Law and Order, The US Constitution as it is written; Spending within our means; Holding people accountable for their actions; Making welfare a hand up, not a handout; Reducing the size of government in a way that will turn more responsibility over to the local people; Turning the term affordable housing into affordable home ownership. He encourages residents of Bennington County to Vote in the August 11 Primary and write MIKE HALL in for Senate.

Peter Briggs
Senate - Addison District

Peter is a native Vermonter; born at Porter Hospital in Middlebury and raised in Addison Town. He operates his family’s fourth-generation dairy farm, purchased in 1928. Like many Vermonters’ forebears, Peter’s great-grandfather survived the Great Depression of the thirties -- Peter is confident that Vermonters today will come through their current economic hardships with similar fortitude and courage. Peter is very active in the Vermont National Guard, inspired to serve our military from an early age by the example of his grandfather, who served in World War II in Europe, in the Army Corp of Engineers. Similarly, Peter’s farming family imbued him with the values of dependability, honesty, perseverance, and hard work -- values he pledges to employ is public service in the Vermont Senate. Peter emphasizes a particularly important Vermont farming value for 2020 -- how to make the most of limited resources, and live within available means.

Randy Gray
House - Windsor 3-2

Recently recognized in the “Springfield Community Spotlight” for his long-standing public presence, Randy is a lifelong resident of Springfield (and a proud grandfather!). His volunteer activities include the Vermont Lay Monitoring Program, the Black River Action Team, and the VSNIP (Spay and Neutering). Currently self-employed, Randy’s small business has been compromised by this pandemic. Randy fully understands business needs because he worked for many years serving hundreds of Vermont businesses in sales and sales administration for one of the largest building materials wholesalers in the Northeast. He is committed to supporting local businesses, and improving Vermont’s future prosperity and opportunities for our youth.

Sally Achey
House - Rutland-Bennington

Sally resides in Middletown Springs with her husband of 42 years (Stan) and Australian Shepherd Penny Pup, whom she is training for visitation therapy. Valedictorian of her high school, Sally’s accomplishments also include a BA degree in math from UVM, graduate studies in Applied Statistics at Princeton University, decades of rearing Lippitt Morgan horses, co-ownership of a portrait photography business, longstanding contributions of her abilities to numerous local charities, and the creation of the “Tour de Slate” bike-riding fundraiser to benefit Teen Challenge in its battle against addiction. An avid kayaker, Sally now steps up to serve Vermont with her proven talents.

Samantha Lefebvre
House - Orange-1

Samantha was raised on the values of being dependable and honest and is no stranger to hard work. Her goal is to make Vermont a place where families and businesses come to grow and stay by making it more affordable by lowering taxes and regulations. Samantha supports local schools and believes that every student should have the opportunity to attend a technical/trade school to be able to invest in their future without putting themselves into debt. It is critical that we provide support to our local farmers and businesses so they can continue to supply Vermont with nutrition, a sensible way of life, and a flourishing economy as they have done for countless years. Samantha feels it is more evident now than it ever has been that Vermonters work hard and should therefore have a Government that works harder for them and makes them feel included every step of the way. She has and will continue to fight to protect our Constitutional rights and liberties while standing up for what the people of Vermont believe in. With a diverse background from owning her own business, being a landlord, working in the medical field, previously volunteering as a firefighter and EMT, being a wife and a mother, Samantha will work endlessly to advocate for your voice to be heard and represented in Montpelier.

Sarah Toscano
House - Chittenden 4-2

A UVM graduate and mother of two from Hinesburg, Sarah is an EMT and volunteer firefighter. Sarah volunteers regularly at both town and civic events, and is a part-time farmer who raises vegetables, as well as chickens, guinea hens and ducks (she plans to expand to goats and rabbits in 2020!). Sarah wishes to improve Vermont’s economic health, bolster schools, and support Vermont farms, goals which are front and center for the agripublicans.

Shannara Johnson
House - Lamoille-Washington

Shannara is a first-generation German-American and has lived in the US since 1999, which gives her a good understanding of legal immigration. She was an adopted child, so being pro-life seems the natural choice to her. For the past 18 years, she’s been residing in Vermont with her family, which currently consists of her teenage son, a badly trained dog and an entirely untrainable cat. Shannara is a seasoned classical and direct marketing copywriter and editor by day and a Law of Attraction author and blogger in her spare time. Since 2004, she has been working for a well-known publisher of investment newsletters and always gets the inside scoop of what’s in store for the US economy. As a Vermont State Representative, her main issue will be to help Vermonters survive and thrive in the challenging post-COVID-19 reality that lies ahead. She is determined to support commonsense bills that lower taxes, promote freedom, and make life more affordable and worth living—and push back on those that don’t.

Stuart Beam
House - Windsor 3-2

Born and raised in Bellows Falls, Vermont, Stuart was a 1975 graduate of Bellows Falls Union High School. He joined the army but after an injury, moved to Springfield. Stuart has been a farmer and truck driver most of his life. Last year he retired after 40 yrs of driving trucks across the U.S. and Canada and has started farming again. Stuart is married with 4 children and has been an active member of his church for 28 years. At this time of his life, he is stepping up to run for office in the Vermont House of Representatives where hopes that his compassion to help people can be used to benefit other Vermonters of his district and across the state. He recognizes that it is going to take a team effort to get the changes made that are needed rescue our state.

Terry Williams
Senate - Rutland District

An eighth generation farmer and lifelong Vermont resident, Terry achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in his 35 years serving America in the Army, including in Afghanistan. Colonel Williams has been involved with so many veteran and local nonprofit organizations that their names could not fit on this page. Terry has three children, and three grandchildren, and is standing to serve in 2020 to improve their futures. Mr. Williams is also an avid outdoorsman, conservationist, and hunter. He resides in Poultney

Thomas Hughes
House - Addison-1

Thomas Hughes resides in Middlebury and is a native of Rutland, Vermont. He is a descendant of a Green Mountain Boy. In 1978, Mr. Hughes earned an Associate Degree in Communication and a B.A. in History (with a minor in Political Science) from Castleton State College. From 1978 until 1980, he studied Early American History at the University of Connecticut’s graduate school. Tom Hughes was employed as a history museum administrator from 1980 until his retirement in 2015. Now Tom volunteers for various non-profit organizations. He and his wife raised a daughter and a son.

Zachary Lang
House - Orange-2

Zachary resides in Bradford where he graduated from Oxbow High School & River Bend Career & Technical Center. Zachary is currently a firefighter with the Bradford Fire Department where he has volunteered since his Junior Year in High School and is currently working towards his EMR medical license.. Zachary also works as a Paraprofessional at Oxbow High School, helping educate Vermont’s youth. Zachary’s focus is on education, no carbon taxes and YOUR concerns being number one.