Two incumbents are running unopposed for the Washington 5 and 6 districts in the November election, and share similar goals as legislators.
In Washington 5 (East Montpelier, Middlesex), Rep. Kimberly Jessup, D-Middlesex, has been a member of the House since 2016 and is running for her second term. She is a member of the House Judiciary Committee, the Spousal Support and Maintenance Task Force, and the Canvassing Committee.
Born in Michigan, she moved to Vermont in 1999, and became a resident of Middlesex in 2007. She has worked as adviser to the president for the Association of Vermont Independent Colleges since 2009. Before that, she was at the Institute for Sustainable Communities (2001-2005) and Vermont Public Radio (1999-2001). She is a former chair of the Roxbury School Board, coach for Rumney School Girls on the Run teams, Middlesex robotics project leader, and Four Winds environmental education teacher. She is married to Ben Jessup.
Issues around family financial security and environmental challenges are top priorities for Jessup as a legislator.
“I want to see statewide paid family leave insurance enacted so that Vermonters don’t have to choose between a paycheck and caring for a new child or close relative,” Jessup said. “The House and Senate passed paid leave legislation last session; the Legislature and governor need to find a path forward.
“Cleaning up the waters of our state remains a vital need. We allocated bonded dollars and used unclaimed bottle deposits last session, but the challenge of identifying sustainable funding that is up to the task remains a challenge that must be prioritized,” she added.
In Washington 6 (Calais, Marshfield and Plainfield), incumbent Janet Ancel, D-Calais, has been a member of the House since 2005. She is the chairwoman of the House Ways and Means and the Joint Fiscal committees. She is also a member of the Emergency Board. Born in Boston, Ancel grew up in Calais. An attorney, she was admitted to the Vermont Bar in 1980 and is now in inactive status. She served for many years as legal staff for the Legislature and later as legal counsel to Gov. Howard Dean (1993–2000) and as Vermont tax commissioner (2000–2002). She is married to Stephen Reynes, a former member of the House. She is a former board member of Federation of Tax Administrators, is a current member of the State and Local Tax Task Force of the National Conference of State Legislatures and was recently asked to serve as vice chairwoman of the Budget and Revenue Committee of the NCSL. She is also vice chairwoman of Historic Kents Corner, and a volunteer at the Adamant Coop.
Issues Ancel wants to address going forward include Act 46 and school funding.
“We should consider whether revisions to Acts 46/49 (school consolidation) are needed to ensure that the process and deadlines take into account the special challenges of districts that submitted alternative governance structures, particularly if the AGS proposals are not accepted,” Ansel said. “Improving on our system of education finance will continue to be a priority.
“Mental health, child care and funding for clean water are all areas of concern that require a consistent source of funding,” Ansel continued.
“We should also continue our work on increasing Vermont’s minimum wage and establishing a viable program for family leave,” she added.
stephen.mills @timesargus.com