By Guy Page
Andrew Klein, a New Haven businessman and Middlebury firefighter running as a Republican for one of Addison County’s two Vermont Senate seats, says reversing the state’s population decline and expanding its economy are the keys to addressing rising taxes, housing shortages and the cost of living.
Klein will be a guest on WVMT’s Chronicle Conversations today, Tuesday October 13, at 12:20 on AM 620, FM 101.3, and wvmtradio.com.
Klein, a lieutenant with the Middlebury Fire Department and its Technical Rescue Team, is campaigning on what he calls a growth agenda built around four priorities: encouraging investment, building more housing, lowering the cost of living, and strengthening schools and communities.
Klein says expanding Vermont’s tax base would allow the state to support schools and public services while easing the burden on existing taxpayers.
Vermont doesn’t need to change. Our policies do — so our kids can stay,” Klein says on his campaign website.
Klein argues that Vermont’s problems with housing, property taxes, schools, health care and workforce shortages are linked to its lack of population and economic growth. He says the state needs to attract more residents, employers and investment rather than relying on higher taxes to support public services.
According to figures cited by his campaign from the U.S. Census Bureau, Vermont lost an estimated 1,858 residents between July 2024 and July 2025, recording the largest percentage population decline of any state during that period. Klein also cites projections that Vermont will need thousands of additional workers each year to address its labor shortage.
“The barriers to growth are not inevitable. They are policy choices,” Klein says. He calls for changes to permitting and regulatory systems that he believes discourage housing construction and business investment.
A graduate of Middlebury College, Klein holds a law degree from New York University School of Law and an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business. His professional background includes real estate investment, capital markets and business development. He previously served on Middlebury’s Planning and Zoning Commission.
Klein lives in New Haven with his wife and two children. He spent childhood summers at Lake Dunmore and with his grandparents in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom before choosing to settle in the state.
“We are raising our family here because we believe in this place,” he says.
Four candidates are competing for the district’s two Senate seats in the November 3 general election. Klein and incumbent Sen. Steve Heffernan of Bristol are the Republican candidates. Incumbent Sen. Ruth Hardy of Middlebury and Hannah Sessions, a Leicester farmer and business owner, are running as Democrats.
Hardy has served in the Senate since 2019, while Heffernan is completing his first term, which he won by ousting longtime Democrat Chris Bray.
More information about Klein’s campaign is available at andrewkleinvt.com.