By Guy Page
A day after taking a political whack at one Essex Democrat legislator, Vermont Republican Party Chairman Paul Dame is calling out another: on social media this morning, he asked Rep. Leonora Dodge (D-Essex) to apologize after photos from her Facebook page showed her attending the annual Migrant Justice party, where a Trump-themed piñata was featured.
The full post can be read at the VT GOP Substack page. Dodge represents Chittenden 23, one of three legislative districts serving Essex Junction/Essex Town.
The photos, which the VTGOP says were provided to the party by a concerned individual, depict scenes from the event, including children taking swings at an effigy resembling President Donald Trump. Dame said Dodge’s decision to photograph the piñata and post images from the event on social media showed poor judgment for an elected official.
“In a time when tensions are high and threats of political violence are on the rise, it is incredibly disappointing to see a Vermont State Legislator not only participating in, but actively promoting through social media, a party where young children are encouraged to ‘take a whack’ at an effigy of the President,” Dame said in a statement.
He noted that while lawmakers cannot control everything that happens at public events, they can control what they choose to capture and share online.
“Rep. Dodge should issue a public apology and state clearly whether she condones this kind of behavior, especially because it was modeled in front of young children,” Dame said.
Dodge responded to a VDC inquiry:
“To be clear: I oppose political violence and strive toward peaceful resolution through word and deed.
“Secondly, piñatas are a call to community and festivity, not a call to violence. Piñatas shaped like the star of Bethlehem, the donkey ridden by the venerated Virgin Mary, and beloved Disney characters, are rooted in hundreds of years of tradition in Mexico.
“As a legislator, I will continue to work respectfully and productively alongside our administration and in the legislature, regardless of party.”
Yesterday, Dame, a former Essex legislator, criticized Rep. Alyssa Black (D-Essex, District 24) for being one of only two House members to vote against Act 71, which provides income tax breaks on military pensions and survivor benefits and grants a tax credit to low-income veterans who do not receive pensions.
Dame’s criticism of Black prompted a letter to the editor critical of politiicizing veterans’ issues from retired U.S. Army sergeant Ken Sekuterski. Sekuterski was endorsed by Dame as a candidate for VT GOP treasurer prior to Saturday’s bi-ennial convention, but withdrew and gave his support to Lynn LaFleur, was elected treasurer unanimously.
Dame’s post on X this morning also elicited a strong on-air reaction from WVMT Morning Drive co-host Dan Feliciano, also a voting member at the convention, as well as callers to the radio program. Feliciano in particular deplored urging children to any acts of political violence.
According to her legislative bio, Dodge was born to Irish and Mexican parents and grew up in Montreal and Mexico City. She moved to the US as a young adult. She earned a B.A. in Latin American Studies from Williams College, and an M.A. in Latin American History from the University of Texas at Austin. She completed a college semester in Chile, and a semester in southern Spain, and studied in Guatemala for a month. She is the recipient of a Mellon Fellowship, a Ford grant, and a Fulbright. She moved to Vermont in 2000. Her Facebook page includes a birthday fundraiser for Migrant Justice, but as of this morning, none of the photos shared by Dame.