Two Democratic candidates with varying degrees of experience are facing each other in next month’s primary election for an Orange County seat in the Vermont Senate.
Now in her second term as state Rep., Monique Priestley, of Bradford, is vying for a place in the Senate in order to have a greater sway on issues such as data protection for Vermonters.
“We need somebody on the Senate side that understands tech policy, consumer protection and policy, and can help be a stronger champion for rural Vermont,” Priestley, 40, said in a recent interview.
Motivated by her desire to build a more affordable Vermont, Priestley’s opponent, retired Randolph resident Rose Lucenti, meanwhile, is making a first-time bid for the Legislature.
“I see first-hand what rising costs are doing to my neighbors, friends and communities across Orange County,” Lucenti, 68, said in an email to the Valley News.
The winner of the Aug. 11 election will face off against Republican incumbent John Benson, of Brookfield, in the general election in November to represent the Orange County District, which covers Bradford, Brookfield, Chelsea, Corinth, Fairlee, Randolph, Strafford, Topsham, Tunbridge, Vershire, Washington, West Fairlee and Williamstown. Gov. Phil Scott appointed Benson to the office after Sen. Larry Hart, R-Topsham, stepped down last fall.
Rose Lucenti
A Vermont native who grew up in Northfield, Lucenti believes her 45-year career at the Vermont Department of Labor, where she worked in unemployment compensation and served as director of workforce development, has equipped her with the knowledge needed to serve effectively in the Legislature, she said.
Building a more affordable Vermont is chief among her campaign promises.
“Healthcare and education spending place enormous pressure on property taxes, and the state must do more to control those underlying costs,” she said.
Lucenti also supports taxing second homes at “a higher rate than primary residences,” she said, as “year-round residents sustain their communities throughout the year, and many struggle to remain in homes they have owned for decades.”
As for merging school districts as a way to cut costs, Lucenti believes “mergers can make sense when they give students better opportunities and use taxpayer dollars more effectively. However, simply closing rural schools does not amount to meaningful education reform,” she said.
She supports limits on “excessively long bus rides” and ensuring that students retain access to “modern facilities” and high-quality teaching in the wake of mergers.
Lucenti also hopes to expand access to apprenticeships and technical education in the state.
“Vermont needs skilled workers in health care, construction, manufacturing, public services and many other fields,” she said.
As for her views on Priestley, her opponent: “I respect anyone who puts themselves forward for public service,” Lucenti said.
Monique Priestley
As a state representative, Priestley has co-led bills related to consumer protection. During her time in the House she has also served on the House Committee on Commerce & Economic Development, the Joint Information Technology Oversight Committee and the NCSL Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity & Privacy.
A native of Piermont, N.H., Priestley is the principal and technologist at her company MEPriestley, a consulting practice she’s run since 2004.
When it comes to education reform, “I am in full support of local communities having more of a say on whether or not their schools merge districts,” she said.
She added that “the No. 1 cost to school is health insurance, and I don’t think we took big enough steps to lower that cost,” she said.
She supports a second home tax, and readdressing the state’s approach to health care in light of recent subsidy cuts.
“I’m just trying to get really creative, and perhaps completely restructure the ways we address paying for things, especially when we have such a gap from a lack of federal dollars,” she said.
The Fairlee Democratic Party will host a debate between Lucenti and Priestley from 6 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5 in the Fairlee Town Hall auditorium at 75 Town Common Road in Fairlee.