Vermont’s primary election is on Aug. 13.

by Alex Nuti-de Biasi, for the Journal-Opinion

Two Republicans are vying for the party’s nomination for the lone Caledonia Senate seat. The district includes the Orange County town of Newbury.

The seat will be vacated by longtime state Sen. Jane Kitchel, D-Danville, who is retiring after spending more than 50 years in public service.

The two Republicans candidates are Scott Beck of St. Johnsbury and JT Dodge of Newbury.

Scott Beck, 56, of St. Johnsbury, was born locally and earned his bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of Washington. After college, he entered the U.S. Navy and served until 1999 as a naval flight officer, earning two Air Medals for combat missions flown in Bosnia and Somalia.

Upon completing graduate degrees in social studies and mathematics at The Citadel, Beck returned to St. Johnsbury and became an educator, dorm counselor, and coach at St. Johnsbury Academy where he currently teaches American history, American government, and economics.

In 2005, Beck and his wife, Joelle, opened the Boxcar & Caboose, an independent bookstore. He has been the chair of the Downtown Improvement Commission and executive director of the St. Johnsbury Chamber of Commerce. During his time with the chamber, Beck developed the Discover St. Johnsbury and Shop Local campaign, assisted with the reconstruction of the fire-damaged 1879 Building, and initiated the St. Johnsbury LVRT promotional film series.

The Becks have six children, all of whom reside in Vermont.

On his candidacy, Beck noted his 10 years as a state representative.

“I have effectively represented a politically balanced district that represents all parts of the political spectrum,” he said. “This experience and detailed understanding of the legislative process and current senators, representatives and administration, will enable me to quickly establish myself in the Vermont Senate and be an effective advocate for the Caledonia Senate District on day one.”

Beck said he listens to others with different perspectives.

“I believe if a poll was taken in the Vermont House of Representatives to identify who was most bipartisan and willing to work across the aisle, I would be at the top of the list.”

Nevertheless, he called Vermont’s legislature “unbalanced” with Democrats making the state increasingly unaffordable.

“My election will help to break this supermajority and force a return to a legislature that is focused on all Vermonters, not special interest groups,” Beck said.

He said he is focused on policy work and crafting what he calls “win-win proposals” that work for Vermonters around the state.

“Notable successes are Common Level of Appraisal reform, a child care bill that supported home-based providers and did not impact seniors or already eligible Vermont families, expansion of sales tax to online purchases to support preK-12 education, and corporate tax reform,” he said. “Vermont shifted the corporate income tax burden to out-of-state corporations and tripled the amount of revenue collected, which is used to support Vermonters.”

Beck outlined his priorities: affordability and taxes, public safety and addiction, housing availability and affordability, and flood recovery and resiliency.

On education, he said school districts need to be more closely connected to local education property tax rates with increased education fund transparency.

“This can be accomplished by defining Education Spending as an amount equal to what homestead taxpayers pay, and then assigning local rates using a Brigham compliant yield method,” he said. “And we should reform the Property Tax Credit so that Vermonters can understand the impact of their school budget votes”

To improve public safety, he said we need to focus on opioid addiction.

“Our law enforcement agencies, healthcare and mental health agencies, and community action organizations don’t stand a chance if we can’t reduce the number of addicted Vermonters,” he said.

Meanwhile, an increase in housing stock will reduce housing costs.

“Vermont should expand recent Act 250 reforms to rural areas of the state, encourage housing density, and incentive mass-timber construction,” he said. “This would make housing more affordable, available and help Vermont’s forest industry.”

Wide swaths of the Caledonia district were inundated by several storms last month. He said the state needs to focus on resiliency from climate change.

“Vermont does not have control over climate change. Vermont does have control over how we prepare for it. Vermont needs to continue to make progress on efficiency, electrification, and renewable energy, but only as fast as technology and family budgets allow. I do not support punitive approaches, including carbon tax ideas such as the Clean Heat Standard.”

JT Dodge, 50, of Newbury, is also seeking the Republican nomination in the primary on Aug. 13.

Dodge is married and the couple have two children, 20 and 13, both of whom they homeschooled in Newbury. His spouse is an author and they both are entrepreneurs “who strongly believe in supporting small businesses.”

“I have over 20 years of experience as a systems engineer,” Dodge told the Journal Opinion about his experience. “I served in AmeriCorps as a young adult and have been actively involved in my community through various volunteer efforts over the years.”

One of those efforts is as vice chair of the Dodge House Veterans Transitional Living Facility in Rutland, named for his father, who was a Vietnam veteran and a strong advocate for veterans’ rights.

“I am deeply committed to my family and our community, drawing inspiration from my father’s advocacy and my own experiences,” he said.

He said he also runs the No Carbon Tax Vermont group dedicated to sustainable environmental policies without imposing carbon taxes, fees and mandates. It’s a key issue for him and one that motivated his candidacy. He said there is a need for “balanced energy policies” that do not punish residents with fees and taxes.

“I want a Vermont that my children can stay and prosper in,” he said. “I’m not going to twist their arms to stay, when I can see that there’s very little opportunity. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I want to hear your ideas about how we can create a better future that includes our loved ones and our homes in this beautiful state.”

Of throwing his name in the hat for the competitive Senate race, Dodge said, “I want to serve in public office because I believe Vermont needs fresh perspectives and practical solutions to the challenges we face. My campaign is centered on affordability and ensuring that all Vermonters have the opportunity to thrive.”

He said addressing the opioid crisis by increasing investment in mental health services, addiction treatment services and law enforcement efforts.

“The mental health of Vermonters is a huge challenge and we can’t ignore that.”

He also points to the need for education funding reform to lower and control costs.

“I advocate for school choice and where education meets affordability.”

Other priorities he identified:

• Supporting small businesses and opposing regressive fuel taxes.
• Advocating for balanced energy policies that consider both environmental impact and economic feasibility.
• Reforming Act 250 to facilitate housing development and address the housing crisis.
• Returning the mandates of the Global Warming Solutions Act to goals to prevent taxpayer-funded lawsuits.
• Enhancing stormwater management to prevent overflow pollution and protect our water bodies.

“Voters have expressed concerns about the high cost of living, the opioid crisis, the impact of climate tax and mandate policies on their daily lives, and unsustainable property taxes. They are looking for practical solutions that will improve their lives and ensure a prosperous future for their children, parents and themselves. We can’t do this if we are raising taxes and fees at the rate that we are.”

Dodge believes he has the qualities that will serve well as a Senator.

“I am a dedicated and empathetic leader with a strong background in community service and technical expertise,” he said. “My experience as a systems engineer has honed my problem-solving skills, and my work in the addiction services field early on, deepened my understanding and compassion for those with these needs. I am committed to affordability, transparency, practicality, and advocating for policies that benefit all Vermonters.”

To the recent severe storm damage in the region, Dodge said, recovery efforts must be “swift and comprehensive” with help from FEMA and the state.

“Moving forward, we need to invest in robust stormwater management systems to mitigate future flooding risks. This includes separating stormwater from residential sewage and implementing technologies to capture and gradually process stormwater. Redirecting funds from expensive climate mandates to these initiatives can provide immediate and long-term benefits for our communities.”