NFIB ROLLS OUT STATE RACE ENDORSEMENTS
MONTPELIER (September 29, 2016) – Vermont SAFE Trust, the political action committee formed by Vermont’s most influential small business group, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), announced their endorsement today of Lt. Governor Phil Scott for Governor of Vermont. Additionally, forty others received the support of the small business community in their quests to win seats in the House and Senate in the general election on November 8, 2016.
“Lt. Governor Scott has repeatedly voiced the importance of addressing Vermont’s crisis of affordability and ensuring that our state retains and empowers small business owners as well as attracts new ones. His determination to put Vermont on a more fiscally solvent path makes Mr. Scott the obvious choice for the NFIB endorsement in this year’s gubernatorial race,” according to Shawn Shouldice who serves as the NFIB Vermont state director. “The small business sector has been crushed by the Shumlin Administration’s failed policies including Vermont Health Connect as well as hundreds of millions of dollars in higher taxes, fees, and surcharges. A tenacious and determined leader is certainly needed to get rid of these harmful policies and initiatives.”
NFIB endorsements of challengers were based on member input and candidate questionnaires. NFIB support for incumbents is determined by the 2015-16 NFIB Vermont Voting Record. The list of NFIB endorsed Senate and Houses candidates, to date, can be found below.
“Small business owners take casting their vote seriously, and we are proud to say that our endorsement process is one that is based not on rhetoric or talking points but on each candidate’s ability to govern in the best interest of the small business community,” continued Shouldice. “In order to invoke the change that we need to prosper economically, it is imperative that each of our endorsed candidates be victorious on November 8. It would be an honor to work with each of them in Montpelier to strengthen and empower our state’s small business sector.”
NFIB/VT State Senate Endorsements:
Joe Benning, Caledonia County
Peter Briggs, Addison County
Brian Collamore, Rutland County
Dustin Degree, Franklin County
Lynn Dike, Addison County
Stephen Webster, Orange County
NFIB/VT House of Representatives Endorsements:
Robert Bancroft, Chittenden-8-3
Lynn Batchelor, Orleans-1
Scott Beck, Caledonia-3
Tom Burditt, Rutland-2
Cynthia Browning, Bennington-4
William Canfield, Rutland-3
Larry Cupoli, Rutland-5-2
Paul Dame, Chittenden-8-2
Eileen Dickinson, Franklin-3-2
Larry Fiske, Franklin-7
Douglas Gage, Rutland-5-4
Marianna Gamache, Franklin-4
Rodney Graham, Orange-1
Mike Hebert, Windham-1
Mark Higley, Orleans-Lamoille
Robert LaClair, Washington-2
Richard Lawrence, Caledonia-4
Paul Lefebvre, Essex-Caledonia-Orleans
Patti Lewis, Washington-1
Marcia Martel, Caledonia-1
Valerie Mullin, Addison-4
Linda Myers, Chittenden-8-1
Corey Parent, Franklin-3-1
Joey Purvis, Chittenden-9-1
Connie Quimby, Essex-Caledonia
Brian Savage, Franklin-4
Heidi Scheuermann, Lamoille-1
Harvey Smith, Addison-5
Job Tate, Rutland-Windsor
Thomas Terenzini, Rutland-4
Donald Turner, Chittenden-10
Warren Van Wyck, Addison-3
Gary Viens, Orleans-2
Janssen Willhoit, Caledonia-3
Please note that these endorsements come from NFIB’s Save America’s Free Enterprise Trust (SAFE), the association’s political action committee, and are based on positions regarding key small-business issues including health care, taxes, and labor and regulatory issues.
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