To the editor:
My name is Samuel Douglass and Iām running to be your next Senator in Orleans County.
Professionally, I work in crisis intervention, dealing with suicide, spousal abuse, homelessness, and substance abuse. I’m a native of the Northeast Kingdom and my family has lived here for generations. I grew up like so many of us did, hunting, fishing, riding ATVs and snowmobiles, picking fiddleheads, playing football, milking cows and riding bikes around the neighborhood.
Since my youth, I have seen a change in the Northeast Kingdom. Businesses have closed, crime and addiction have skyrocketed, taxes have ballooned, housing is too expensive for most Vermonters, people are less friendly, and many of the families I grew up with have left for other states.
To me, this race isnāt about politics or personalities. Itās about people and policy, and itās about preserving our Northeast Kingdom way of life.
This race shouldn’t be about partisanship, it should be about the rural regions of Vermont that are being forgotten. We need more fighters in Montpelier looking out for our culture of independence and
self-determination and I plan to be one of those fighters. We cannot lose sight of who we are and I commit to never lose sight of who I am and where Iām from.
Our state is facing an affordability crisis. Many Vermonters are being forced out and are moving to states with lower costs of living. This is mostly caused by out-of-control state spending and excessive regulatory burdens. When it comes to spending, we need reform. If our state is going to spend, let us spend on our necessities first. We could be prioritizing infrastructure for flood resilience or public safety to address drug trafficking.
I have tripartisan support across all 20 of the towns in this district. These are people that believe in my message of common sense, self-determination, strong communities, living comfortably within our means, and preserving our landscape and traditions so future generations of Vermonters in the NEK can enjoy them.
My candidacy is about bringing more voices to the table, and not just the loudest voices, but the ones who are most often silent and deserve to be heard. My candidacy is founded on my love for the NEK and its people and culture.
Hopefully I can count on your vote in the upcoming August 13 Primary Election and then again in the November 5 General Election.
Samuel Douglass
Troy
Samuel Douglass is running for State Senator as a Republican in the Orleans 1 District.
