By Andrea Murray for State Senate campaign

Windsor County has long been a Democrat and Progressive stronghold.  Its largest town, Hartford, has voted overwhelmingly blue (approximately 70%) since at least as long as they’ve used Dominion voting machines, maybe even longer.  However, a shift has been taking place of late, and one person who finds herself at the center of it is Andrea Murray, Republican candidate for the Vermont Senate. 

Earlier this year the Vermont Daily Chronicle covered a story emerging from the Windsor County Republican party where the leadership made a dramatic transfer of power due to the lack of local party support. After much back and forth, the end result was that with new leadership, the Windsor County GOP suddenly had more life in it than a newborn calf.  

Windsor County GOP meetings have since had record attendance with 16 town committees organized and the hope that has emerged can largely be tied to the work of the Murrays, both lifelong Republicans. 

Andrea is a native of another kind – Native American.  Born to a military family in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, she spent most of her childhood abroad in Germany with a few stints in Texas.  She attended DOD (Department of Defense) schools during the tumultuous Cold War era when foreign threats meant she was often escorted to school by armed soldiers.  Her take?  “It was just our life and we adapted.”  

Her favorite teacher, Mr. L., taught several electives and the athletics coach.  “He treated me like a young adult and encouraged me to be a leader among my peers,” she recalls fondly. “I was always one of the youngest and smallest kids in my class, having skipped a grade early on. So, I had to find ways to prove I had a right to be treated as an equal.” 

Andrea was the Varsity wrestling team manager for two seasons until it got too expensive to take the train to practice and events. Her parents, though both employed, didn’t make enough to cover the added cost and the employment opportunities on military installations for youth was very limited and age restricted by DOD policy. Despite the slim options, she feels that her upbringing instilled confidence, a strong work ethic and a commitment to excellence that would guide her through her life.

Andrea’s power of persuasion manifested itself early on, in a class where she was the only girl with twenty or so boys. She convinced them all that they needed to be cooler, which found them agreeing to go home that day with a pierced ear, and a legend was born. 

After graduating, Andrea embarked on a journey into the world of business management and finance. She volunteered to prepare taxes for soldiers and realized they desperately needed financial education. She then built a Credit Counseling program for her region and helped hundreds of young soldiers get out of debt.  

Following her passion for knowledge and understanding, she attended Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma pursuing a degree in Respiratory Therapy. She began her medical career in the very same hospital where she was born. The next many years were focused on supporting deploying and returning soldiers’ respiratory care.

Respiratory therapy is a serious field which involves being an active participant in the realities of life and death every day, which have made a profound impact on Andrea.  As a member of the Code Team her job was to perform CPR during the life-saving efforts to restore a patient’s heartbeat.  “Getting to escort them back to their car a few days later changed how I see the world as a human being” she recalls.  “Seeing the power of God when He restores life is beyond words.” 

Conversely the job required Andrea to administer end of life care, which impressed upon her the need for dignity to those whose time was coming to an end.   The ones that made the strongest impact on here were the seniors who were dying completely alone – “no cards, no flowers, nothing from home and no visitors.”  Andrea would request that the floor nurses call her when that patient was fading so she could sit and hold their hand, talk with them and read Bible verses offering comfort and peace as they breathed their last breath. This effort later turned into a volunteer group that worked to ensure no one had to die alone while in their care.

Andrea met her husband, August, at an American Legion event in Texas, which kindled their romance that included a fun filled Las Vegas wedding.  Upon August’s retirement from 33 years of military service, they returned to his home of Vermont.  They have a son in middle-school and these days the family has dedicated their lives to restoring a 200-year-old homestead back into a working farm, where they raise beef cattle and chickens.

But Andrea’s farm is more than just a business—it’s a beacon of hope for those in need. She raises her livestock with care and compassion, knowing that each animal will make a meaningful difference in someone’s life. Andrea donates meat, eggs and produce from her farm to local food banks throughout the year, to help alleviate the growing food insecurity and hardships the supermajority’s massive tax increases are causing.

A day in the life for Andrea begins around 6 am when she wakes up the house then heads out to the barn.  These “sacred mornings” include feeding the cattle with warm greetings and back scratches, keeping a sideways glance on Hank the Longhorn who likes to steal her coffee.  She then releases the tiny raptors who, despite her best efforts, seem to always find her flower beds.  After which comes breakfast, getting her son off to school, catching up on the days to-dos (housework, farmwork, dinner) which now includes campaigning.  

When asked what she loves about Vermont her answer is fairly simple.  “I love that Vermont is Vermont.  We don’t try to be like anywhere else in the world.  Towns each have their own beautiful charm, their own way of doing things and our community spirit is amazing.”  She loves the lack of billboards and traffic and that neighbors will drop everything to help each other without having to be asked. 

She also loves that “people are not afraid to share their opinion on a subject, especially about traditional Vermont activities (sugaring, haying, farming)”.  She also loves the rich history and how much effort is given to preserve it for future generations. There is still trust in an honor system in our communities where farmers can offer goods from a farm-stand with an open cashbox “reflecting Vermonters still have faith in humanity”. 

“Yep, there is still goodness in this world and it’s easy to find here in Vermont.  I love that.” 

When asked about her concerns for Vermont’s future and some things motivating Andrea to become the first Republican Senator from Windsor County in thirty years, she reiterates the very things she loves about Vermont are what she fears are at stake. 

“I am concerned about the very things that I love about Vermont and being a Vermonter. In the name of growth, not enough consideration is being given to the fact that ideas that make sense in larger states, just won’t be effective here. I worry about Vermont losing its identity as a rural farming state and losing the independent spirit of our towns.”

An example she gives is the future forced closing of small town schools that may look good on paper but will instead likely mean the end of a town’s growth and influx of young families. No new families mean no commercial investment in community services, new commerce and no new tax revenue sources for the town. “Government over-regulation of matters that belong to the citizen is a dangerous and unhealthy path of forced compliance. Our motto is “Freedom & Unity” not “Label & Control.

I fear that far-left special interest agendas are intent on destroying families in Vermont. Taking away parent’s rights and forcing socialist universal programs that benefit the elite is an astonishingly brazen abuse of power. Universal lunch, Child care for 575% FPL & 1 Million in assets, rental controls, gun control, food producing farm land conversion to solar farms, and of course, the bankrupting climate mandates agenda.

People are more important than politics and I’m determined to work together for legislative solutions that help all Vermonters thrive. Windsor County needs someone to relentlessly work for prioritizing tax-saving policies and programs that promote growth and prosperity for all Vermonters.”

Fun facts about Andrea: 

Favorite music: 1980s metal, 60-70s rock and 90s country but preferring the oldies 

Favorite food:  Ribeye Steak of course, and real Shoyu or Tonkotsu Ramen

Favorite place to eat out: Inn of Weathersfield 

Top 3 Favorite movies: The Breakfast Club, Dirty Dancing and Independence Day

Top 3 Favorite books: The Holy Bible, The Jungle by Upton Sinclair and Robert’s Rules of Order (12^th ed.)

Hobbies/passions/talents:  As a creative Andrea is a self-taught handywoman who likes to solve problems rather than outsource them, unless it’s electrical because she “doesn’t want to die or burn her house down”.  She also has learned the trades of woodworking and jewelry making which has been “pretty humbling knowing hundreds of people have ‘popped the question’ with a ring I made”. 

Bucket list items: 

• Grow a prize winning pumpkin. One of the seedlings from her stock won a blue-ribbon last year’s fair, but she didn’t grow it out (neighbor’s granddaughter).
• Build a greenhouse on an old foundation we found behind our house.
• Write a novel.

Andrea Murray is a candidate for State Senate in Windsor County. Vermont candidates of all and no parties are welcome to submit press-ready statements for publication.