sarah
By Conor Casey, State Representative, Montpelier
Dear neighbors: I will not be seeking reelection to the Vermont House when my current term ends.
After five years on the Montpelier City Council and nearly four as your state representative, serving this community has been one of the great honors of my life. Montpelier is a special place, and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to represent it.
We’ve been through some incredibly difficult times together. On the city council, we faced the upheaval of COVID-19, not just as a public-health crisis, but also as a challenge to the social fabric of our community. And in the legislature, I’ve stood with so many of you through historic, devastating floods that reshaped lives in ways no one should ever have to endure.
Through all of it, what has kept me grounded — and hopeful — is the way this community shows up for one another. Every single day I see small and large acts of kindness in our capital city. In a world that feels meaner and more divided by the minute, Montpelier continues to remind me what humanity looks like.
Deciding not to seek reelection wasn’t easy. But serving in a citizen legislature has become increasingly difficult for working people, especially during long stretches in session. Over time, the structure of the job has come to favor those who are retired or independently wealthy, which risks creating a disconnect from the working-class issues we’re meant to address. In the long run, Vermonters may be better served by a general assembly that is smaller, better compensated, and fully professionalized.
I have no regrets. Serving you has been an extraordinary privilege. But the work can be heavy at times. This job gives you a front-row seat to a great deal of suffering, and not always enough tools to solve it.
I’ve listened to the stories of our unhoused neighbors, many of whom ended up where they are through circumstances beyond their control. I’ve sat with flood victims who watched their lives turn upside down in a climate disaster that was supposed to happen “once in a century.” Their pain stays with you. And the helplessness you sometimes feel as their representative stays with you too.
I’m deeply proud of some of the things we accomplished together. In my work on the Corrections and Institutions Committee and the Judicial Retention Committee, I’ve engaged with some of the most challenging issues facing our justice system and state institutions. Securing over $1 million dollars for Montpelier after the flood, advocating for businesses and individuals who were struggling, and helping people navigate the labyrinth of state services will always be among the accomplishments I cherish most. It was also an honor to chair the Working Vermonters Caucus, where I tried to bring forward the voices of frontline workers from every corner of the state.
I’ve also been fortunate in my colleagues. We had big shoes to fill replacing legends Mary Hooper and our dearly missed Warren Kitzmiller. I’m grateful to our senate delegation, who have been wonderful partners, and I especially acknowledge my district-mate, Rep. Kate McCann. From the moment we decided to run as a team, she has been a rock for me. Despite facing difficult health challenges, she still shows up every single day, and also manages to be an exceptional teacher at U-32, where she was rightly named Teacher of the Year. I could not ask for a better teammate or friend and hope you’ll support her for another term.
And, of course, I thank my wife, Jamie. Many of you know her from giving shots at Integrative Family Medicine in town, and, I promise, she’s very nice, despite the needles. She sacrificed a great deal so that I could serve, and I owe her more than I can express.
The world feels like a scarier place right now, and Vermont is not immune to the forces tearing at the national fabric. More than ever, we need to take care of one another. We need to remember to be kind, especially in a town as small and interconnected as ours.
There’s an Irish saying: “Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine.” It translates to “We live in each other’s shadow,” but it also means “In the shelter of each other, the people live.” That spirit of looking out for one another is what has always made Montpelier special to me. It’s what you’ve given me during my time in public service, and I hope, in some small way, it’s what I’ve given back.
I’m still here for the remainder of this session, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything. Someone will step forward to run for this open seat, and whoever succeeds me will inherit both the privilege and responsibility of serving this extraordinary city.
Thank you, Montpelier, for your trust, your resilience, and your heart. I will always be grateful to have had the chance to serve this community.
The material presented here represents the opinion of the author and does not reflect the opinions of The Bridge. Commentaries may be submitted to editor@montpelierbridge.com. Preference is given to submissions by those who live in central Vermont. Submissions are encouraged to be 500 to 750 words in length.
