Todd Nielsen speaks about his experience running for and winning Brandon’s seat in the Vermont House of Representatives
By Vicki Disorda
Todd Nielsen began my interview with him by expressing compassion for those upset by the results of what was possibly “the most important election of our lifetime.” Then stated, “I’d like to thank the Brandon GOP for supporting me and having my back all the way through. Without them, I would never have volunteered and ran.”
“The GOP picked up 17 seats in the House and six seats in the Senate — a bigger net gain than by any party in Vermont in at least three decades.”
“GOP”—The initials synonymous with the Republican Party, stand for the “grand old party” or the “gallant old party.” The abbreviation was used by politicians and newspapers as early as the 1870s to emphasize the Republican Party’s role in preserving the Union during the Civil War.
I asked Todd what he felt his and his party’s role will be in reuniting voters. “I wish everyone to know I am doing this for the people of Brandon and Forestdale. It would be great if it were like we are in third grade again and everybody can be friends. Life is much better when we are all friends.”
Of his sign waves, Todd said he “got a lot of love and motivation.”
“This is the first time I have ever stood up for something in this fashion.” Smiling, Todd added, “I’m doing a lot of things for the first time in my life.” The list included finding a church where he “fit in.”
“I’m surrounded by good people and I want to thank everyone.”
In addition to multiple and frequent sign waves, Todd spent countless hours going door to door and speaking with Brandon area residents. Even at homes with his opponents’ sign on their front lawn, Todd found amiable welcome and said he truly enjoyed running. “It’s given me purpose”.
The only negative experience he spoke of was an encounter with an area resident who Todd felt “tricked” him into believing they were a supporter. Then told him he was ‘never going to make it because you are so simple.’ Then stated, “maybe you should drive a school bus.”
What he is trying to do, Todd said, “is not to promise more than I can deliver ─ A lot of my stuff will be short.”
The campaign was not all fun and socialization.
The candidates forum held by the Brandon Chamber of Commerce at the town hall was “nerve racking” for Todd. He spoke of involuntary deep breaths he kept taking as he answered questions and wondered if anyone could hear them. We did. “I sweated in places I never knew I could sweat. My knees. My elbows. Even my good hand was dripping wet and I knew I had to shake Stephanie’s hand at the end of the evening.” He chuckled and added, “I even had sweat on the ground.”
Of the forum, Todd was surprised “because nobody asked about the cost of anything.” In his closing remarks that evening Todd expressed his love for his friends and neighbors in Brandon and Forest Dale, “Democrat or Republican”.
In the days following the Chamber Event there were several posts on Front Porch Forum regarding Todd’s performance, some of them negative. I asked Todd how those comments made him feel. “I knew it was a select few people who were bitter. The only one that really got to me was a post titled “The Elephant in the Room”.”
Initiailly, Todd said he interpreted the title as ‘The Republican in the Room’, which at first made him feel proud. An elephant is the traditional symbol for the Republican Party. However, as he read the post, Todd then realized the author was “saying the idiot in the room nobody wanted to talk about. ─It bothered me for days.”
“So it actually hurt your feelings?”
“Yeah.”
This prompted me to ask Aida what this experince was like for her as Todd’s spouse. Of the Chamber Event she said, “I know he was very nervous. You could see he was stressed.”
“It upset her more than me.” Todd chimed in.
“Todd’s attitude towards life is very positve.” Aida said. “After his disability, he said, ‘you know, I needed to make changes in my life.’” Of herself, she stated, “Always in life I try to look from other person’s view. Todd is not representable from other person’s view.”
Then Aida went on to speak about a couple of Front Proch Forum posts that troubled her. One of which she felt personally attacked because the author wrote Todd’s supporters made “emotional hot-button statements that the moderator had to ask to be reworded as a question.”
“English is my third language and it was my first time speaking in the audience.” The other post that bothered her specifically was one in which she was referred to as “the Republican’s candidate’s wife”.
“I have a name. ─It was funny,” She laughed. “Like people trying to provoke you.”
“Were you expecting that as the spouse of a politician?”
“Yes.”
The day after the election Todd held his final and most joyful sign wave to thank his supporters. It impressed at least one Brandon resident who said, “you never see a politician out there after the election.”
Todd promises he is not done engaging with the community. He plans to attend both School and Select Board meetings. Then stated he believes “the School Board and Select Board are probably tougher (jobs) than the one I face right now.”
Expressing his admiration for Town Clerk Sue Gage, Todd said he found her to be honest and unbiased. “She really helped me with the election process.”
Todd concluded our conversation by affirming his love for Brandon. “I’ve lived all over the world. There is no place better than Brandon.”