Why I am Voting for Aly Richards (and I think you should too)

Voting in the primary has started, and I am here to explain why I support Aly Richards for Governor, and why I think you should too.

I spent 21 years growing a small business in Burlington. And for the past two years I have been a state legislator. Those are wildly different roles — and these same two lessons apply:

Number one: Sometimes, the least helpful sentences can start with "I have an idea…" Ideas are easy; implementation is much, much harder.

We need a Governor — like Aly — who has shown that she can be effective in the tedious, difficult, painstaking work of implementation, not just focus on broad ideas.

In Vermont, we have broad consensus about what our problems are. You all know (and feel) what they are. We don't have enough housing; we are being crushed by health care costs; we face a demographic crisis. And the list continues…

Aly spent 10 years leading the successful movement to reform the child care system in Vermont. This was not one simple idea. This was concerted, unrelenting work to build and implement reforms at every level of the system. To get there, she talked to, listened to, and built collaborations with everyone — and I mean everyone: business leaders, parents, taxpayers, elected officials from all parties. This is the most progressive, most comprehensive child care reform in the country, and business leaders and (God forbid) Republicans were part of the coalition to get it passed.

Number two: We need more leaders who think like an executive, not like an advocate.

There are advocates all over Montpelier. These are people who have a point of view and work to advance it. Their mindset is: convince others that they are right.

An executive thinks about and analyzes the entire system, and really embraces the complexity. Yes, an executive has values and a vision, but they also work to understand all points of view and know that all decisions require tradeoffs. They must have one eye on managing the present reality and another on building for a better future.

The Vermont Governor is effectively the CEO of a state with a $9.3 billion budget, complex systems, and 650,000 customers. The best Governors are not ideological; they have strong values, and they are intensely practical.

In my time in Montpelier, it has become very clear to me that the Governor has much more power than the legislature. The Governor has a full-time, year-round administration and has the ability to implement policy well — or poorly.

Right now, we have a Governor who has one strategy, and that is austerity. Ten years of austerity has led to a steady decline in Vermont.

We need a Governor who looks to the future — a Governor who has shown they have leadership and administrative skills, a Governor who can build government capacity and effectiveness, and a Governor who can — and will — collaborate with everyone.

As my mother taught me: good intentions don't mean shit; what matters is what you do.

Sure, Aly Richards has ideas, but most importantly, she has shown what she can do. She can build coalitions, solve problems, and manage organizations. She is the leader we need.

If you haven't voted yet, please do. Primaries have low turnout, and every vote matters. You can request a ballot from the Secretary of State, vote in person at your town or city clerk's office, or go to your polling location on August 11.