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By Guy Page
The Vermont Republican Party is heading for a leadership showdown as Joe Gervais, an Arlington resident and party activist, announced he will challenge incumbent chair Paul Dame for the top job.
Gervais pledged he will take no salary if elected.
“For too long, top-down control has sidelined our grassroots strength, letting opportunity slip away in a state brimming with conservative values, hard work, independence, and unyielding opportunity,” Gervais said in a press release and email to party members yesterday. “As chair, I will return to our volunteer roots — I will serve without taking a salary. The party’s funds will go to party growth and candidate support.”
“As your next VTGOP Chairman, power will be the hands of county chairs, members, and everyday Republicans. We will foster participation at all levels to ensure every town has a GOP committee and every candidate has the tools to triumph.”
Dame, chair since 2021, says Gervais’ organizational record doesn’t back up his claim. He also says his record includes leading the Red Wave that made strong State House gains in 2024.
“My opponent Joe Gervais is talking about empowering the grassroots but in his own county he was able to organize only 6 of the 17 Towns in the county,” Dame said in a letter to VDC yesterday, following Gervais’ announcement.
“And according to initial reports, across the county those towns collectively lost a total of 15 members, and gained 12 new people. So under his leadership the local county organization has shrunk – not increased,” Dame said. “If he can’t improve the organization in his own county, how is he going to convince Vermont Republicans he can fulfill half of his grand promises at a statewide level which has significantly more challenges?
Dame noted that the neighboring counties of Rutland and Windham both saw net increases in the towns that have reorganized. “His own town of Arlington still has just the same three members it did during that last reorganization. He ran for the senate last cycle, why couldn’t he find a fourth person in town to join the committee?”
Gervais also said the state party leadership must take a more politically conservative approach. “Together we will work to earn back the trust of every-day hard working Vermont voters who deserve representation that reflects a unified, unapologetically conservative voice. Our state committee meetings will be positive, fun and engaging events focused on party growth, but more specifically, focused on working together to win elections at every level.”
Some attendees of recent state meetings say the events have been anything but fun, in part because of large amounts of time given to procedural questions raised by Dr. August Murray of Windsor County, with whom Gervais has allied in support of change at the state level.
Gervais hopes to build the party’s donor base. Building on the theme of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, and Vermont’s important role in the nation’s founding, Gervais said he will build a network of 250 recurring donors to the VTGOP. “Republicans will again be encouraged to give time, talents, and financial support for clear conservative policies and priorities that will restore the values Vermont was founded upon,” he said. He set the goal of raising $250,000 dedicated to winning 2026 elections.
“Fueling our resurgence with robust fundraising approaches—from local drives to recurring contributions, to major donor partnerships—we’ll equip candidates with campaign kits, training, and tech. This isn’t just money; it’s momentum to flip the Senate majority, grow our House caucus, and counter Democratic stall tactics on climate and education reform,” Gervais said.
Dame pointed to his leadership that helped make possible the 2024 Red Wave that eliminated the Democrat supermajority in both the House and Senate.
“I hope Vermont Republicans will look at the results of the last election where we far surpassed Republicans in every state in terms of State Legislative pickups,” Dame said. “I have developed the best relationship between the party, the Governor and the legislative leaders that we have seen in a long time. That kind of proven teamwork and coordination is what we need to win again in 2026, and the party would take a great risk if it makes such a significant change to a solid winning team that has already produced measurable results.
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Categories: politics
A losing team shouts they want the same coach. There has been no team for 30+ years. There are 119,395 people waiting on the sidelines to be called into service. When I went to several meetings, the lack of basic supplies, like a list of the voter base, within the Washington county, home of our capital and home of our Governor was mind numbingly missing.
There are many, many good people who are willing to spend time and money to change our course in Vermont.
If we have the most popular governor in the entire united states, why hasn’t he built a party around himself and ideology? Well, he has, Scott and Dame, definitely have it’s called the Vermont Democratic party.
They supported and voted for Joe Biden, build back better, you will own nothing and be happy contingence. How does that work for vision and leadership, has your pen run out of ink yet?
They publicly planned and orchestrated against the party itself, by voting and asking Vermont Democrats to vote for war monger and opportunist Nikki Haley in the primaries…….
And after 20 + years in government you can’t get all the towns organized and you call your opponent unsuccessful? Well at least he appears to be batting for the same team! Imagine, what could happen, if we all sang the same tune, of the Republic!
Me thinks it’s time to change horses. Hopefully others to too.
That says it perfectly Neil.
Grassroots you say. Now this is a man I can stand behind. It’s been far too long since the GOP has been a party for the people, with the people in Vermont. Hopefully light at the end of the tunnel.
Having a Party mentality is somewhat presumptuous, and exactly why we do not see how we are being herded by those that control both Parties. Neil is absolutely correct, sing the same song of our Republic, then we expose the unimportance of party politics!
We are captured in a real systems matrix, the only way out is to recognize the game, and refuse to play it!
It does not seem like there’s much of a Republican party in this state, even though I know there are a large number of conservative supporters. In such a sparsely populated state (all of Vermont has fewer people than a small suburb of a major city), we need clear leadership from the top committee. Here in the towns, we need tools to attract more volunteers and candidates. Coordination. Communication.
We need an Organization, not some sort of good old boys club.
I’m not opposed to paying someone well for good work. We need at least one person who can work full time as the leader. A few people working full time would be better. If Joe can work for free, maybe we can use the money to hire him a full time assistant.
In the 2024 election the Republican party in Vermont made historic gains and became for the first time a much needed relevant player in the legislature. This is a sucess for whch Dame deserves some of the credit. The way to build on this success is to contnue to fill the large gap created by the extermes of the Democrats in the legisature who have put ideological purity above practicality.
The opportunity for further gains of a center-right coalliton for the Republican Pary will be squander by mimicing the Democrats in chosing a more ideolocical pure candidate over a proven Party leader expousing the affordabiley and practicality which so many Vermonters feel is desparately needed.
Ellie Martin attempted to stir Grassroots and I heartily agree grassroots engagements are needed. But grassroots don’t develop just by bringing in highly qualified excellent speakers on topics of concerns to all. The speakers will draw leaders, but who will take those seeds and plant it to grow the real grassroots.
It takes the diligence of the media and press. The voice of main stream media has been silent and even admittedly now that You Tube acknowledges their suppression of some voices. Front Porch Forum would suppress conservative political voices while promoting and allowing left and even radical left voices – with help of the taxpayers, too. But other main stream press voices have done the same. Thank you, Guy, for keeping our voices alive.
Still too many Vermonters are stuck in old patterns. I just need to worry about my farm, my family, and maybe a bit of my community I’ll let those who want to worry about the government, worry about the government for me. I won’t bother my head with the ups and downs of politics. Frankly, I was one of these people, too. It wasn’t until an issue I cared about dragged me to learn about what really happens and some of the whys behind the scenes in Montpelier. We need a wake up call. Sorry, we can’t be content with just watching over my little piece of the pie.
This really is true in the faith arena, too. There was a day when pastors pastored their flock and it was the whole town. Even though half of Vermont’s 252 towns have under 1200 people that’s no longer so. It used to be the pastor, priests, and rabbi’s would know everyone and could shepherd and guide the counsel of selectboard members, library boards, hospital boards and the like. Today, most faith leaders have dropped any sense of responsibility for these community roles. They are quick to tap the managing capacities of their congregants to manage in house needs, too. Far too few of anyone’s faithful can be found in local governing roles. Yet, most will agree – that if godly light is to guide, it needs to be in a publicly visible location. Faith leaders – it is time long overdue to give godly guidance to to current issues. Sex identity, racial divides, and finding value in being a child of God and encouraging community engagement on these matters need to be encouraged. The community grassroots need faith voices and prayers.
I don’t want to live in a Christian Theocracy, thanks and neither did the Founders.
@Chris, What do you mean? the poster above is bringing up the topic of faith and reminding _faith leaders_ that they have a responsibility to lead, especially when it comes to politics. I don’t see anything written there that implies that everyone must follow the same religion. The fact that the constitution forbids the government from becoming a theocracy is well founded. However, there is no reason faith leaders can not take a political stand. In fact, the history bible says faith leaders _must_ take a stand. Otherwise they become like Judas in the stories.
You are free to choose your religion or faith or atheism, if you want. I don’t care. But you can not guilt shame anyone or talk them down if they choose a different faith than yourself…that would be prejudice.
If you are brave, I invite you to maintain your current feelings about religion and instead, why don’t you consider looking at the teachings of Jesus Christ as if he were the great philosopher that he really was? You have to admit, his epoch did reset our very clocks. Nobody, and I mean nobody, cares if you believe in the supernatural. But JC’s teachings are the bedrock of liberalism.
Chat all we want but the elections are decided by the delegates from each county to the state election body. Organize your towns (which just happened in Sept) in October organize your county and each county will send delegates to the state. Those delegates will chose the GOP leadership on November 8th at our state convention. Let the challenges begin!!!
We will all accept the outcome and move forward as a team to WIN in 2026.
There are too many shills within the party that knowingly or unknowingly don’t want any change. Your cry is the same of many within the party…….it’s delusional. No change equals the same results, no money, major losses and more uniparty support.
I watched, under your leadership no less a fixed game. The VTGOP would not even introduce Keith Stern at the Summer party, the fix was in. Keith was given no tools in which to run a campaign. So, what if some didn’t want Keith to run for Governor, if he had no chance there was no need to stack the cards against him. This is not an isolated incidence within the VTGOP
Another incident was the VTGOP not doing anything about Molly Gray running for Lt. Governor, when she didn’t qualify. The VTGOP was afraid to ask a judge to even rule on the issue. Perhaps we could share my emails with you and the bald-headed attorney guy from up north…his name slips my memory at the moment. There is much need of improvement, surely.
Our state is run by monopolies, NGO’s, lobbyists, hell we allow one person to fund and buy our congresswoman Balint…..is anyone in the VTGOP calling this out, regularly??? How about Bernie selling out to Clinton? How about how nobody within the Democratic party can vote their conscience? Can’t vote for what their constituency wants….they are puppets.
No, the fear porn is real in Vermont, it would be utter cataclysmic if we had a new party leader, why?
The VTGOP loves to be in the losing position, they can claim we don’t have the votes, do nothing and hold their little positions of power.
See if they want change, they will vote change. It will be.
Survey the populace, ask them on a scale of 1=10 how do you rate the VTGOP, get back to me, let me know the results, I’d be shocked if it was above a 3.
Whatever we do, do not vote for change, heaven forbid, we might get it.
Vermont desperately needs a new direction.
You nailed it, Neil; my thoughts exactly.
It is time for Lame Dame to go ! I was kinda hopeful when he replaced the last one but saw almost immediately what he was all about.
NO Paul it wasn’t you that contributed to the wins we did get last time around ! It was voters that were sick and tired of what we were seeing happening within our state ! Vermont was Republican forever until all of the BS started … I watched it all happen while I was growing up ! It is time to change what has become the status quo.
Time to get back to First Principles !
It is good to see the revival of the VT GOP with so many enthusiastic comments. But, let’s aim towards unity, not infighting. Each candidate has some pertinent ideas. Let’s all get together. Maybe Dame and Gervais can get together for a discussion of how to keep the revival going.
Reading this, the contrast couldn’t be clearer. Joe Gervais shared his vision, values, and a plan to build the VTGOP as a true grassroots organization — without seeking personal profit. Meanwhile, Paul Dame chose to attack and disparage a fellow Republican. Can you see the difference in their approach already?
Seems to me that with the reply here, Dr. August Murray is himself, disparaging a fellow Republican. Okay when convienient, August?
Joe Gervais lost multiple consecutive races, Paul Dame led Vermont to a national record Legislative pickup of 21 seats in 2024 and gave the Governor his veto back.
Not to take away some seat gains, for a SUPER majority to a simple majority (aka still a losing team) …..and at the same time, we’ve seen leadership utterly ignore, and do nothing on the following:
Fail to Build a party, with the most basic tools, skills and people
Huge Increase of drugs/crime/alcohol abuse
School System in complete shambles, economically, physically and educationally
Affordability, unobtanium, due to protected monopolies/NGO’s/non-profits
Health care being one.
Building modest homes for ownership another
Education is another
Schools are teaching lust is love.
So, while there are some undeniable gains, there is another inherent issue firmly planted, espoused every day by leadership within the party, if you are conservative, we don’t want you.
And the irony of the entire episode is the mantra, we can’t win with a conservative base, so you aren’t allowed. All the time losing every single election. lol……insane.
Yeah, a young man went on campus with a conservative message, here it is.
America is the greatest country in the world.
Our Republic, the constitution and bill of rights are the greatest form of government to date.
Free Enterprise and capitalism is the greatest force on planet earth for ending poverty.
He went in the most leftist, indoctrinated environments, with love and compassion for his fellow man, and was making huge gains. So much so, they had to assassinate him in public. So, it’s not true, conservatives can’t win, it’s plainly demonstrated for all to see.
But I can assure you this, the uniparty wants no Charlie Kirks around, nor does the gang in Montpelier.
Hell, most people in Montpelier and screaming “Save our Democracy”, that’s how stupid, indoctrinated we truly are, we’re trying to save something never intended and abhorred by our founding fathers. We can do better, much better.
So, Joe and Paul, if you can figure out how to truly activate town committees to be motivated and engaged Grassroots – Vermont is in need. However, historically way too many Town Committees have been able to get by without needing to be very active.
What a difference we might have had if more had tried to capitalize on the GWSA heat issues and really activated people to assist candidates and have cleaned house in Montpelier!!! Yes, Paul can claim great advances, but not enough to have kept us free of GWSA and to begin to clean house with a Vermont version of DOGE.
And for the record – our children need a good dose of patriotism in our schools. How many legislators, potential candidates and other community leaders will make sure they can recite the Pledge of Allegiance and sing more patriotic songs than the Star Spangled Banner for the Veterans on Nov. 11.
They could also use concerned community citizens to help remove sexually explicit books from school bookshelves. TakeBacktheClassroom.com makes it easy. They’ve already analyzed most of the bookshelves and make it easy for a few concerned citizens to take up this challenge. They also say there’s over 6K books on Vermont’s school bookshelves that should be removed.
The GOP should show the community that they care and are engaging in community needs along with getting candidates elected. We need to keep patriotism and sound sexual identities of our children if we want future voters to believe in FREEDOM and UNITY.
I spoke at Burr & Burton last year, and could not find a booklet style Vermont Constitution, so I made my own. Speaks to the gap in civics education in the state. Making that available to Vermont schools might be the kind of initiative you’re suggesting.
Joe is an intelligent, savvy, dedicated man, hence there is a high likelihood he will never achieve this goal – the RINO’s of the VT GOP will block him until the proverbial organically reared cows come home.
Scott is but a prime example – throwing a Republican or two into appointed public positions to placate the supposed minority of GOP’ers in VT while he largely promotes & places into positions democrats & socialists to appease the masses in order to maintain the power structure. What other Republican appoints Democrats??? Do Democrats move Republicans into public positions???
The current VT GOP is impotent and appointed local party heads are instructed to back down at every opportunity to engage. They largely don’t even fund their candidates and only God and Joe Gervais know where donations really go.
I sincerely hope Joe can prove me wrong; good wishes to him in this uphill battle.
90% of success is showing up. There’s quite a lot of pontificating in the comments to this article, but where’s the action? I challenge everyone who is bold enough to comment, or reading the comments, to show up at a party meeting, as Deb Billado is suggesting. If there isn’t a GOP town committee, get 2 other people and form a town committee! Attend your county meeting this month, or the state meeting in November to network, even if you are not a delegate through the process yet. That’s how to do it… by showing up!
Some town and county GOP committees have done great work, which can be replicated. Milton’s committee worked to organize and grow a team starting in 2021, culminating in raising significant $ in 2024 and resulted in sweeping all 6 legislative seats that represent Milton, contributing significantly to the 2024 legislative gains. A handful of people in 2021 became 20, then an email list of 50 and so on. Windsor county GOP has build a grassroots operation that is unparalleled by either party, resulting in the election of Republican legislators in what was thought to be deep Blue turf…H/ T to them!
Money talks. If 10% of VT GOP voters donated $100 to the party at some level or a candidate of their choice that is $1 million or more in financial support that is needed to win in an election cycle.
Persistence. Remember the quote attributed to Calvin Coolidge. The last 10% is persistence. Look it up if you don’t know it.
Many are suggesting we vote for change, lol, but not the kind that Barry wanted for us. What is your position on this? Who do you support? By not standing out, it would appear you want the status quo.
There is much truth to what you say, but it’s also perhaps not the most introspective from a VTGOP standpoint.
Look at this way, would somebody invest $100k, with the current team? Why? Money talks, loudly and people with money are not inclined to invest, why?
What about this, what if the VTGOP said, we don’t like the results from the last 30 years, we failed, we need help. Pride leads us over the cliff, humbling ourselves leads to knowledge and happiness.
This position SHOULD be a paid position!!!! Short of that, it clearly would seem to me that supporting Joe, would at least send a message to the cancelled, you’ve been heard, you are welcome.
You can have a restaurant that serves fried ants in Swanton, and then say, it’s the customers fault my business failed, nobody supported me! Or you could find out that Swanton residents LOVE grass fed burgers and fires cooked in beef tallow and have people knocking on your door for food and to work at your restaurant.
If the VTGOP humbled themselves and asked president Trump for assistance and guidance, what do you think he would do? What do you think the VTGOP would do with the thought of asking this question. Trump is smart enough to know you need to play a different game in Vermont, but he could send talent, money and resources badly needed.
Dame, Rodgers and Scott, surely won’t be asking for that change. The only hope is to rotate someone off the bench, and currently the only position open for change is Dame. I fully support any change, Joe seems reasonable, he is the ONLY< ONLY one talking about building the VTGOP…….everyone else has built up the other party.
The VTGOP needs to humble themselves and ask President Trump for help. Do you think he'd help the current line up?
DAME DEFINITLY NEEDS TO GO, IF YOU AREN'T SAYING THIS YOU ARE SUPPORTING THE STATUS QUO. Until then the VT GOP will be selling fried ants in Swanton and wondering why they have no customers.
We need to humble ourselves and look within, we have to change before we expect change.
I showed up. Numerous times. And eventually gave up. In Manchester – before Joe essentially took over.
The couple in charge of that community’s Republican party refused to do most anything that might enact change. When they did sponsor a candidate to speak and then sent the notification of date/place/time to the Bennington Banner – a leftwing propaganda rag – in order to have the event included, the Banner would intentionally exclude the notification & the event would go unpublished. Surprise!
When I stated they need to take this issue up with the publishers and the editor and pen a letter that detailed what was experienced….they refused laughingly stating: “Oh, they always do this”. (Huh!!!???)
At that point, I offered to pen the letter myself to have it sent from our organization & I would ensure it was printed. They initially agreed & then when I forwarded the letter to the couple in charge (very professionally & civilly written) they then refused to send it to the editor as we had planned.
Remember the 70’s song that warned “Don’t rock the boat, baby….don’t tip the boat over”…….
Yeah.
And here we are.
Agreed – Republicans tend to pontificate and not take grassroots action.
True and not true, not the whole truth. What would happen if President Trump ran the next three VTGOP meetings and picked leadership?
You know what would happen, and that is why at all costs, Dame, Rodgers and Scott wouldn’t do it.
There are 119,395 people looking to work and spend their money within the VTGOP, but, but, leadership says, no thank you.
WE NEED LEADERSHIP CHANGE!!! Lord please hear our plea, I ask in your name Jesus Christ.
Hell, just ask President Trump who he’d pick and then go in that direction!!!!!!
Just asking yourself this question, and answering it yourself, brings instant clarity, what will our representatives, put in place, by God no less do with their responsibilities?
Who does the leader of the free world support? That’s not pontificating, that’s making wise decisions and asking someone who can truly help, has seasoned knowledge and is quite frankly a genius, for help.
Life is difficult enough, we don’t need to make it more difficult, though it seems to be a Vermont specialty.
We have much talent with in the VTGOP, you’re a prime example. We need more good people. We also need different leadership at the helm, to suggest this is not so is folly, we need to humble ourselves or be humbles once again at the ballot box.
Pride is keeping of from any hope of change. Humility would do wonders. Saying we’ve failed, we need help, we need to change, asking someone who could help us change would do wonders.
Who do you support? That’s what this article is about, without this article Vermonters would know nothing, nothing at all about the VTGOP. A huge shout out to Guy and the team.
I agree, Neil. VT GOP “leadership” will not even deign to mention the name of the leader of the free world.
They choose to placate, rather than confront, the left’s TDS narratives.
Thus Vermont remains the small-scale, east coast California laboratory rat of communism that it has become.
Please remember this. Now is the time to change faces at the top. There is a need for that, and many Vermonters are seeing that need. Scott, Rodgers, and Dame are all cut from the same cloth, a cloth that is getting really thread bare. If we let them back in, we only have ourselves to blame. For goodness sakes, Scott may be the most popular Governor in the nation, but what is that doing for VT? Getting things right about 50% of the time, on a good day, is not in keeping with the “better standards” that Jim Douglas and others set in place during his tenure. Now is the time to turn that corner,
and get on a different track, one that will deliver the government that VT was once famous for. For starters, Gervais is my pick.