Kesha Ram Hinsdale to appear at Democrat event at Barre Labor Hall next week
by Guy Page
Here’s something we’ll be talking about on Feedback Friday on WDEV today from 11:05 – noon. No guests, just callers, join the fun at 802-244-1777.
Snow is falling in Vermont, and so are early hints about next year’s political races. One eyebrow-raiser: Chittenden County Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale will join Washington County senators for a community Q&A next Wednesday at Barre’s historic Old Labor Hall.
It’s billed as simple outreach, but her appearance outside her district has sparked speculation. Ram Hinsdale came close in the 2022 lieutenant governor’s race and has been increasingly visible statewide. A stop at the Labor Hall—a classic venue for Democratic organizing—looks a lot like the kind of early groundwork potential candidates lay.
So Vermonters are wondering: is she positioning herself for a run for governor or lieutenant governor? Maybe Ram, who is after all the Senate Majority Leader, is just trying to pump up the Senate Dem caucus at a meeting announced by Erin Stoetzner, Senate Caucus Director for the Vermont Democratic Party.
Maybe she’s just going to a community meeting. But it could also be the first sign of something bigger.
On paper, it’s simply a chance for neighbors from Barre, Montpelier, Berlin, and Northfield to meet their lawmakers. But Ram Hinsdale’s presence has sparked some quiet chatter: is she gearing up for another statewide run?
We already know that first-term lieutenant governor John Rodgers plans to run in 2026. In 2024 he rode the Red Wave to defeat Progressive-ish Democrat David Zuckerman. Treasurer Mike Pieciak has all but officially declared he will run for governor – if not this time, then soon. The timing depends on what the Nation’s Most Popular Governor, Phil Scott, decides. And most politics watchers think he’s got at least one more term in his sights.
Maybe Ram’s jaunt to the Barre Labor Hall next Wednesday is just outreach. But with speculation swirling about open seats for governor and lieutenant governor next year, her visit to Barre is raising eyebrows. What do you think?
If political campaign speculation isn’t your cuppa, here are a few more headlines to whet your appetite to call 1-802-244-2777 to Feedback Friday on Hot Off The Press today at 11:05 – noon:
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