Trump foe McGovern resigns as chair
by Aaron Warner and staff
The Windsor County Republican Committee Saturday replaced an anti-Trump chairman and voted 54-0 in support of Donald Trump as the 2024 GOP presidential nominee.
The county committee voted unanimously for a resolution that included this language:
“The growing Republican grassroots movement is holding the line for conservative beliefs and values in Southern Vermont. Windsor County Republicans are taking the lead once again in Vermont. On this day, the 16th of March, 2024, we are keeping with the tradition of supporting a winner. We, hereby formally Endorse and Support the presumptive Republican Presidential Nominee, Donald J. Trump, for President of the United States!”
Since last fall, the county committee has been embroiled in a struggle to replace now former chair John McGovern, a longtime GOP activist, official, and candidate who strongly opposes the candidacy of Donald Trump. Saturday’s votes followed a court decision last week that allowed the meeting to go forward.
The meeting saw 75 attendees and 54 delegates from 13 of the county’s 14 towns organized with town committees. The delegates elected the following officials:
County Chair: Lynn Baldwin, Ludlow.
Vice Chair: August Murray, Weathersfield.
Secretary: Kelly Spaulding, Chester.
Treasurer: Peggy Dionne, Windsor.
Finance Chair: Roy Spaulding, Chester.
Committeeman: Earl Dionne, Windsor.
Committeewoman: Andrea Murray, Weathersfield.
Delegate at Large: Joe Josselyn, Ludlow.
Platform Delegate: Mike Todd, Weathersfield.
Alternate State Delegates: 1 Mike Todd, Weathersfield. 2 Peggy Dionne, Windsor. 3 Joe Trottier, Hartford. 4 V.L. Coffin, Cavendish. 5. Kevin Blakeman, Sharon.
Despite several articles from Valley News reporter Jim Kenyon (also in attendance at the Saturday meeting) which attempted to cast Mr. Murray and Mrs. Baldwin in a negative light as “MAGA” and quasi-insurrectionists, the Committee kept the focus on party process and rules of order on behalf of its members. A growing number of conservatives have come out to make their voices heard in Windsor only to find ongoing drama revolving around McGovern’s anti-Trump, and, at times pro-Democrat actions.
McGovern, a Windsor resident, has enjoyed a leadership role within the GOP for some twenty years, including a run to unseat long-time Senator Bernie Sanders. A young Paul Dame, now state committee chair, was his campaign manager at that time. Since Trump’s political ascendancy, McGovern has been outspoken in his opposition to the former president and three-time candidate.
Among McGovern’s eleven donations to Act Blue since 2020, one was given to Raphael Warnock’s campaign and another to a campaign declaring to defeat Republicans.
After McGovern delivered a resignation speech the committee re-elected Baldwin as chair and Murry as Vice Chair with a similar vote of confidence. Delegates for 13 of the 14 organized towns in Windsor unanimously voted in favor of the new direction for Vermont despite having been encouraged by Governor Phil Scott to oppose a Trump nomination in favor of Haley.