Voters in Vermont House district Windsor-Addison will choose between Democratic incumbent Kirk White and Republican Michael J. White, both of Bethel, for one seat on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The Valley News asked the candidates in a survey about their experience, why they are running and what they see as the biggest issue facing the state. Kirk White’s answers, edited lightly for style, appear below.
Kirk White, an acupuncturist finishing his third term in the House, names affordability as the biggest issue. He ties it to healthcare costs, housing barriers, workforce development and school funding that doesn’t keep small rural schools open. Michael J. White did not return the questionnaire.
KIRK WHITE
Democrat · VT House Windsor-Addison
64, Democrat, Bethel
Political experience: Completing my sixth year in the Vermont Legislature on the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development.
Professional experience: I have been practicing acupuncture and Eastern medicine for 32 years.
Community service: President of the Bethel Business Association, the Bethel Revitalization Initiative and Bethel Rotary, among others.
Why are you running? To represent and support small rural towns and their businesses, restore affordability, remove barriers to affordable housing, protect our small schools, and create equitable, fair and sustainable funding.
Biggest issue: Affordability, which is tied to decreasing healthcare expenses, removing housing barriers, workforce and trades development, and equitable school funding without closing small rural schools.
Online: kirkwhiteforvthouse.com