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By Sam Douglass
In a post made on the Rural Vermont Rising Facebook page around 2 p.m. on Thursday, Senator Russ Ingalls (R-Essex) announced his plans for a new political party in Vermont called “The Vermont Party.” As indicated by comments on the post, the creation of the new party builds on the momentum and grassroots action of anti-Act 181 sentiment that rose up during this year’s legislative session.
Ingalls confirmed the news this evening in response to an email from VDC: “Hi Russ Can you confirm that you are starting the Vermont Party?.” He responded, “Yes, I can confirm.” Ingalls, chair of the Agriculture Committee, was first elected to the Senate in 2018. The Irasburg native is a real estate broker and owner of multiple radio stations in the Northeast Kingdom.
Shortly after Ingalls made his post, sources closely familiar with the discussions told VDC that conversations about forming a new political party have been taking place for some time among Ingalls and others involved with the Rural Vermont Rising community.
Many Vermonters feel ignored by the Democratic Party but are not interested in becoming Republicans, one source said, creating a demand for a political alternative focused on Vermont issues.
“There’s energy around people who want to focus on Vermont,” one source said, referencing the status quo in the State House. “Political parties come and go and many Vermonters are looking for a viable third-party option.”
In a short phone interview with the Newport Daily Express late Thursday afternoon, Ingalls confirmed that his post was made in reference to the creation of a new platform to give Vermonters another option.
“There are a lot of people who don’t feel represented by either party,” Ingalls said. “We’re looking at creating something people can get behind that focuses on Vermont.”
Ingalls told the Express that he has yet to file for official party status and doesn’t yet have a website.
“We’ll see where it goes,” he said.
His Facebook post announcement consisted of a graphic with the headline, “Let’s Work Together to Keep Vermont, Vermont.” Comments on the post varied but were mostly positive and encouraging with some commenters asking for his platform for the party and others asking to help start it.
In one comment on the post, Ingalls wrote, “This is just the first day of announcing it. Let’s see where we go! But it’s exciting for sure!”
VDC will update this story with more information as it becomes available.
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Categories: politics
best of luck, we need a second party, as we only have a uniparty in Montpelier 🙂
Hopefully facebook will allow you to use their site and tools, we were denied at the Green Mountain Party, having been legit registered with the state, Facebook would not allow us to boost any posts.
You have a free speech site here, which didn’t exist back then, we were banned from commenting on VTDigger and True North Reports, if any posts contained our name they were deleted, and they stood true to their word.
School funding, Drugs/Crime and Affordability are still the main unsolved issues, with the new twist of we are taking your land via regulation, all courtesy of VNRC and VPIRG, minions of agenda 2030.
After losing my shirt literally, a friend wisely said to me, “The only thing the two parties can agree on, is they don’t want a third”
God Speed sir, God Speed.
When one of the two major parties in the state of Vermont can’t even field a candidate for Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Treasurer or Auditor of Accounts, it’s absolutely time for a third (or 2nd) party. It’s admitting defeat without even submitting a roster. Such a pathetic disservice to Vermonters and an epic failure of “leadership.”
How can we expect voters to participate when one of the state’s two major parties isn’t even showing up?
This isn’t a one-year problem. It’s a pattern.
No candidates means fewer choices. Fewer choices mean lower engagement. Lower engagement means activists win.
If Republicans want to compete, they need to recruit candidates, build a bench, and give voters a reason to show up.
They have no platform and no leadership, they don’t even support the candidates that do run. I have seen them stab them in the back and do everything possible to not give candidates a fair shot.
Ask the losing candidate, ask any candidate that ran, how much did the vtgop support you?
Self reflection and introspection is not their strong suit.
The top three leaders are doing nothing, therefore you have, nothing.
Thus won’t help anything. Now your going to split the already small Republican vote? We can’t compete with the liberal takeover of this state. Nor can we fight all of the uneducated college kids voting in our elections. I won’t even mention the illegals! The Republivan party needs to be revamped under new leadership. The argue more with each other, than they do with the Demoncrats. Even the Demoncrats will all agree on issues to get the vote. Wake up Vermont, we have already lost her. It’s now little California, with a little New York lobbying sprinkled in.
Yeah I remember those accusations, it’s bs, how come the most popular governor on the planet can’t fill a full roster in his own party?
We even changed our candidates running position from Lt gov to representative, so as not to interfere with vtgop,which was a huge mistake, we couldn’t get traction or discussion on a state wide basis.
You would think the vtgop would support an outside party that wasn’t a Marxist, globalist cabal, but you would be mistaken.
How come the most popular governor on the planet, in his own capital town, his home town didn’t even have a list for his own party of registered voters?
They didn’t even introduce a candidate at their own summer meeting, Keith Stern, because they didn’t want anyone running against Scott, insider ball.
The best thing for the vtgop would be for it go bankrupt, but one person Lenore, keeps funding the failed group. Scott clearly knows how to run a campaign and play political ball in Vermont, but he never supports the party.
And look this npmagen David adom add keeps popping up while I write this? Israel is under fire?
There are so many great people in the party, but there are so many people that have been in power for decades and won’t step aside, will not allow anything new to happen, for fear of more dems getting elected. HELLO, you’ve been a minority for decades!!!!!!!!
Scott and dame are at the head of this party and they blame the voters and public, so go figure.
If your restaurant that served fried ants was failing because people wanted cheese burgers, but the chef and manager refuse to change the menu, what would you the owner/voter do? Vtgop adds another sue chef that specializes in fried worms, but has a wonderful charm and accent. Go figure!
You’d hire a new manager and chef, which the vtgop refuse to do. I hope and pray the Russ is entirely successful.
Vermont BE strong
Montpelier IS wrong.
You would think the vtgop would love,love, love to have another party to share state control with, another party filled with Russ Ingall like candidates!!!!!
Why would they not fully support a group of these people to hold office, instead of democratic socialists???
Would it not make governing Vermont easier??????
Why would they do the complete opposite?
That my friend is the question staring you in the face. That is the very inconvenient question nobody wants to answer.
It’s the same reaction you get when you ask the question, why don’t you allow school choice?
The people in power don’t want to change any of the current dynamics that keep them in power and keep the uniparty agenda on track. Marxism and Marxism light are still Marxism. We are a republic, despite what our government schools teach.
Russ, I’m sure you realize an untapped, smart, wealthy population in Vermont that is being pillaged on a daily basis, used hard and have no representation.
The Vermont second home owner.
They are taxed 3.62% just to buy a property in Vermont
They are taxed 15% to rent their property in Vermont, because the taxes are so high.
You could have a million dollar war chest just to giving them attention.
The Democrats and Progressives use to be at each others throats . It was only when they put their differences aside that they were together able to become a super majority party. Progress was indeed made in the revolt of 2024 when a record number of Republicans were elected. Diluting the strength of those which more in common than naught will only lead once again to significant gains for extreme and impractical Democrats/Progressives.
Your 100% right we need to form a coalition of the like minded. Its not a good time for splitting. I don’t care what you call the party. I will always vote for the candidate that has this state and our country first!
When I returned to Vermont almost 20 years ago I asked “what has happened to the Vt. GOP?” During the past (approximately) 10 years it has become even worse. I don’t think I need to explain my comment(s) to true Republicans. Some of my friends have actually left the party and some have become less active, such as myself. I am still a Republican and I openly support true Rs, but I will not support ones that call themselves Republicans in name only.
Yes, I am attempting to be polite with my comments, but I’m sure some of you understand my message. I have spoken with several people that totally agree with me, and are pretty much reacting the same way. This needs to change before it is waaaay to late.
Agree with this sentiment as well. We have been way to complacent. If we want our vision of equality and justice for all. Property rights, and no pigs more equal then others.
Right: Let’s undo the recovery work we’ve begun as a State. Split the Republican ticket, handing back the State House to the Dems’ and Progs’ supermajority again. A house divided cannot stand… That doesn’t mean splitting into two houses.
“Evil will always triumph because good is dumb” -Spaceballs
lol, I love how nobody wants to consider that Russ Ingalls and people like him being elected are a threat to Republicans…what?????? It would be a threat to Democrats…..
The space ball quote applies to the dems, not frustrated republicans who are completely ignored and chastised by those within the party.
Russ you are over the target! The VTGOP will be more virulent, violent and vicious toward you than the Dems…….
WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT TELL YOU?????
To put in a different context, you the Church of Satan and the Catholic Church, a new Baptist church comes to town, what happens? Does the Catholic Church or the Church of Satan put up the most fight against the Baptists? What would Jesus do? lol………
Oh yeah, go after the church that praises Christ, don’t want another church praising Jesus….lol, who knows maybe more people would love their neighbor.
If leadership of the VTGOP really wanted change in our state, they should publicly come out and say, Dame, Scott and Rodgers
“We would love to work with a party head up by Russ Ingalls, a party that is focused on Vermont issues so we can get things done in our state, so Democrats have a place to cast their vote. ”
What will they do?
The only thing that come to mind is divide and conquer, Interesting the timing.
Russ, just stick with the three R’s. Radio, Real Estate and Republicans party.
My own thoughts are that the Vt GOP is tainted my the so called Republican in the White House. Perhaps a new Vt party with true Republican leanings like lower taxes, self determination, local control etc could catch on. We have a chance here, as Rob Roper pointed out to correct the continuously bad policies of the Dem/Prog block that has messed up our state.
Maybe the problem isn’t the party but the leadership lament Dame hasn’t done his job for years!
A 2022 party confab at the Burlington Sheraton. First order of business – do we back a statewide message on abortion (THE wedge issue)?
VT GOP is he Washington Generals to the D/P Globetrotters.
We do not need the democrat party, remove them and there will be no problems because they cause all our problems.
Interesting idea. I don’t know if it would work. Neil J’s comment at the top is most appropriate: If you don’t have free and fair media coverage, you won’t go anywhere. The VTGOP keeps taking giant steps to the Left ostensibly to get “someone” elected so to claim a victory. It’s the media’s job to educate the electorate. They are failing.
Censorship is rampant. They omit coverage of critical information. They even stoop to broadcasting falsehoods. Anything that promotes the neo-marxist ideology. The public does not even realize they are being indoctrinated.
Whatever you do going forward, don’t forget to support VDC: one of the last bastions of free speech and reasonably fair coverage of the issues.