Pledges tax caps and full Act 181 reform to protect working families and rural Vermonters

Lawrence “Spike” Whitmire, a Shaftsbury resident, small business owner, and school board president, today announced his candidacy for the Vermont State Senate in the two-seat Bennington District as a Republican.

“Bennington County families are being taxed out of their homes and regulated out of their land,” said Whitmire in a campaign statement. “My top priority is real tax caps — hard limits on property taxes that force Montpelier to cut spending before chasing more revenue. And I will fight to repeal Act 181, the land-use law sponsored by my opponent Seth Bongartz that is crushing rural Vermonters with new restrictions, higher costs, lost local control and lost property rights. Even when given the chance with S.125, my opponentsopposed meaningful reform. I will stand for the rights of all Vermonters— especially those in our rural towns.”

A 54-year-old husband, father, and grandfather, Whitmire has worked in the Real estate and construction business in Bennington County for more than 30 years, while volunteering his spare time to help low income adults and children achieve a better way of life.  

He currently serves as the board president of a private Christian school that delivers high-quality K-12 education for one-third the per-student cost of Vermont’s public schools — proving that better outcomes don’t require bigger government budgets.

“While my opponent, the chair of the Senate Education Committee, admits the latest education bill ‘just kicks the can down the road,’ I’ve helped deliver real results at a fraction of the cost,” Whitmire said. “We can reform education, protect local control, and put parents and students first — without raising taxes on working families.”

Whitmire’s campaign will be built on three  pillars: 

• Tax caps to stop endless property-tax hikes and force real spending restraint in Montpelier 

• Education reform that delivers results, not excuses — modeled on the proven efficient model he helps lead 

• Act 181 reform and rural property rights — repealing the overreach that severely impacts rural landowners while protecting the rights of all Vermonters

In a two-seat district where the top two vote-getters are elected, Whitmire says he is running to give Bennington County voters a clear, conservative choice who will fight for fiscal responsibility and stand up to the progressive agenda of more taxes, more spending, and more mandates.

“I’m not a career politician — I’m a businessman, a dad, a grandfather, and a neighbor who has spent decades serving this community,” Whitmire added. “If you’re tired of higher taxes, failing schools, and politicians who refuse to cut spending or protect rural Vermont, I’m asking for your vote in the August Republican primary and the November general election. It’s time for change.”

Spike Whitmire lives in Shaftsbury with his wife and youngest son. 

For more information, to volunteer, or to contribute, visit SpikeWhitmireVT.org or contact the campaign at SpikeWhitmireVT@yahoo.com