Chats with the Candidates Democrat Claire Ayer

Author: Liz Lathey

Claire Ayer is the Democratic candidate for Addison County representative in the Vermont State Senate.

How do you feel you can improve the state, if elected, with your Democratic platform?

The Democratic platform, to me, is one that's more holistic than the Republican platform, for example. We think that we can take care of our kids, have good jobs and have a clean environment, all at the same time. We don't think we have to choose one over the other. As far as me personally improving the state, it would be more in how we work at the Legislature. I'm a conflict negotiator among other things.
I have a degree in environmental studies from Middlebury [College] and I'm a nurse, so I have a lot of background. I can take to the legislature in terms of knowledge. But the conflict mediation or negotiation, I think, is what's going to be most useful, because right now I don't see the Legislature working together, necessarily, on the goals that they want; they look at issues and positions. They look at roadblocks and they just don't get past them. Everybody wants clean water, I've never met anyone who doesn't want it, but everyone has these obstacles and they don't try to figure out ways to go around them or look at them in a different way, but I can do that in the Senate. I'm good at that, and the person I'm running with, Gary Gossens, is also very good at that. So the two of us together for Addison County can make a difference.

What do you see as the main topic of this year's State Senate election?

That's an easy one: budget, budget and budget. The things that I hear most people are worried about are their taxes, healthcare, and jobs, and all those things work into the budget. How we're going to take care of all of them at once, I don't know. We're going to have to tighten our belts and look for programs that maybe have outlived their usefulness, just look for ways to cut back. But we have to pay attention to everything: Healthcare, education, the environment, jobs, tourism. All those things are very important. You can't neglect one without hurting the others.

What prompted you to run for State Senate?

The main thing is that I feel Addison County is full of moderate people, moderate, hardworking, tolerant people. We have two senators and we need two senators who reflect that kind of voice in Montpelier. We don't have that right now, and so if I'm elected, we will.

How has your background, both in college and in the work force, prepared you for this election?

First of all, I have a degree in nursing that I had before I got [to Middlebury??]. Between going to nursing school and going to Middlebury College when I was 40, I had three kids, which is a huge learning experience. I chaired our local school board, in Weybridge; I worked as a nurse, so these things really added a lot to my experience. But, around 40, I was beginning to see that the environment, agriculture and the way they relate is something that has a huge effect on me, Vermont, how I live and what I love about Vermont. I grew up and was educated here in the Champlain Valley. I went to Middlebury College, and got a degree in political science and environmental studies. After that I started working with natural resource conservation districts where elected officials who work with whatever the natural resource issues are in the area; here it's mostly agriculture and forestry. Seventy percent of the land is used for agriculture and forestry. So I've been working with farmers on legislation, on natural resource issues; everything from composting and the farm to working with [Democratic] Senator Leahy in Washington. I've done all those things in the 10 years since I've gotten my degree from Middlebury College, which was a great experience. During that time I also learned conflict negotiation and conflict mediation, so that's what I've been doing and all of that is going to make me really well qualified to deal with all the issues in Montpelier.

Is there anything else you want to say?

I would say a really critical point that people need to know, especially students and faculty at Middlebury College, is they have to get out and vote. It's hard in a non-presidential year to feel that there's a lot of urgency in a little state election, with little state representatives and local senators. But the way the governor's race is going, it may be up to the Legislature, the House of Representatives and the Senate may decide who's going to be our next governor, and who's going to be our next lieutenant governor. That's one big issue. The other issue is that the lieutenant governor will break any ties that we have in the Senate. Right now the Senate has 30 seats with 16 Democrats and 14 Republicans. If that changes to 15-15, a lieutenant governor, whoever's chosen will break all those ties. I'm thinking we'll still have a Republican House. If we have the executive branch and two chambers that are all the same, no matter what the issue is, no matter if it's Democrat of Republican, things are going to slide right through without enough discussion. We have a lot to lose if it becomes a Republican-dominated government.