The following letter was sent to voting delegates of the Vermont Republican Party this week. – Editor

by Samantha Lefebvre

I am asking for your vote and your support to be elected as the Vice Chair of the Vermont GOP! If you are not familiar with who I am, please allow me to introduce myself. I am a lifelong Vermonter who grew up in Chittenden County. In 2018, I moved to the town of Orange with my husband, Shane, and since then I have been truly grateful to live in such a beautiful community.

I am a Licensed Nursing Assistant at the University of Vermont Medical Center, a landlord/small business owner, a sitting Legislator in the House, the GOP Vice Chair of the Town of Orange, and the chair of the Orange County Republican Committee. I have a small gentleman’s farm. I love to hunt and fish, and I have too many crafting projects started! Most importantly, I am a wife and mother who cares deeply about the condition of our state.

I believe that out of every bad outcome, let’s take Joe Biden as our President, there is a silver lining. The state has an optimal opportunity to build a stronger, more transparent, and larger Republican base. Why do I say that? The Democratic and Progressive parties have supported not only someone who makes our entire country look weak, but they are creating division among their own by simply going TOO FAR. These Vermonters on the left are now uncomfortable with their own party, and they are looking to find home with another. This is our chance to show that we aren’t the mean, cold, and empty-hearted people that VTDigger and Seven Days makes us out to be, but rather the party who cares and works for the people.

I support a positive approach to all things; not only does that include campaigning, educating, communicating, and engaging in healthy debate but also in how we conduct ourselves amongst our own. I have heard the cries from those in our party for more support from leadership and that is something that I take very seriously. Teamwork is vital to any dream or goal moving forward. There needs to be consistent and supportive collaboration not only between the executive board and the members, but between the members themselves. It is apparent that the counties are not working together enough to cover Vermont in a more strategic way. We work best when we work together.

When thinking of goals that I would like to set as the Vice Chair of the Vermont GOP, a few came to mind, and I will share the top ones; I would work to attract and retain Republican members to our party, recruit, and train candidates to run for ALL positions from select board member to Governor, and maintain an open-door policy with transparent communication. Please reach out to me with any questions or comments that you may have.

I look forward to seeing you all this Saturday, November 6th at 10 am at the Delta Hotel in South Burlington.

Again, I am asking for your vote and your support to be elected as the Vice Chair of the Vermont GOP!

The author is an Orange resident and member of the Vermont House of Representatives.