BRATTLEBORO-As we fight to keep our hospitals open and our families safe, and as we face a governor who has sold out to the White House - Remember how last year he handed over Vermonters' sensitive data to the feds? - we need two leaders who will stand up for us: Amanda Janoo and Molly Gray.
I invite you to join me in voting in the Democratic primary here in Vermont for Amanda Janoo for governor, and Molly Gray for lieutenant governor, on or before Tuesday, Aug. 11.
As a member of the Brattleboro Selectboard, I see how our government needs leaders who are willing to speak up for the public. I'm supporting Amanda and Molly because of their bravery and leadership at a pivotal time.
Since first meeting Amanda in 2024, I have been impressed by her clear-eyed assessment of the connection between extreme wealth inequality, authoritarianism, and affordability. She has been willing to strongly commit to solutions where other candidates have waffled.
Specifically, she has clearly differentiated herself from her opponent in her readiness to 1) increase taxes on the very wealthiest Vermonters, and 2) require congressional authorization prior to deployment of our Vermont National Guard to the president's wars.
I have been similarly impressed by Molly Gray's readiness to stand up against the Trump administration's devastating policies. Molly, a human rights lawyer and our former Vermont lieutenant governor, consistently speaks out.
Over the past months, both have gotten to know southern Vermont residents and our needs. Prior to the race, in her work as the executive director of the Vermont Afghan Alliance, Molly traveled the state, working in solidarity with our refugee neighbors and their allies here in Windham and Bennington counties.
Of all the statewide candidates, Amanda and Molly were the only two I saw at a demonstration in Burlington in response to the operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE had killed a community member in nearby Maine and, in the week prior, had detained five people here in Vermont, sowing terror among our immigrant neighbors. Both candidates were standing up for Vermont residents in the face of fear and violence.
During the recent debates on Vermont Public, the moderator asked the candidates about their support for the Vermont Defend the Guard Act. This bill would require congressional approval prior to deployment of the Vermont National Guard to overseas combat, in line with Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution, which assigns the power to launch a war exclusively to Congress.
In their respective debates, both Amanda and Molly expressed support for the legislation, as did Esther Charlestin, another lieutenant governor candidate. Unfortunately neither Aly Richards (Amanda's opponent) nor Ryan McLaren (Molly's opponent) were willing to take such a stand.
Many Guard members privately support the Defend the Guard Act, but have remained silent because speaking out for it jeopardizes their careers. That is why we need candidates such as Amanda and Molly who are willing to show courage and speak up. We need leaders who won't wait for someone else's leadership.
More of the same - more kowtowing to Trump, more tinkering around the edges, more trying to lay low and hope that we don't get too much blowback - will not serve us. History has shown that is not a winning strategy against fascism.
What has proven successful is people standing up for one another, speaking out, and fighting back. That's what Amanda and Molly are doing now, and what they'll do as our respective governor and lieutenant governor.
You can check your registration status and get additional Vermont voting information at vote.vermont.gov/public/dashboard.
Isaac Evans-Frantz
Brattleboro
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