By Layla Burke Hastings
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ROCKINGHAM, Vt. — Democratic Party members nominated two community leaders at a special caucus Thursday night to replace former Vermont State Rep. Matt Trieber, D-Windham 3, who announced his resignation from House seat 120 to his colleagues on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Leslie Goldman, a Rockingham resident who received 20 nominations from the Windham 3 Democratic committee, said the committee only convenes in special circumstances, this being one due to the resignation of Trieber.
“I want to thank Matt Treiber for his service,” Goldman said. “I look forward to possibly serving in the legislature.”
Goldman, 66, served three years on the Rockingham Selectboard beginning in 2006. She has also spent 35 years as a nurse practitioner and is a former member of the Rockingham School Board.
Kelley Tully, also a Rockingham resident, has never run for public office before but said she was excited to potentially serve in the Vermont legislature.
“I think that it’s pretty interesting that we have so much direct access to our government. Sometimes it seems like it’s a foreign, distant thing, but we are the ones that can help each other and make a difference. It seems a lot closer when you know now that you are part of this kind of work in the process. It seems a lot closer to be able to help, that’s pretty exciting,” Tully said.
Tully, 54, has 26 years of nursing on her résumé after serving in Springfield Hospital’s critical care unit before it was closed. She has also taught emerging nurses about critical care on the Springfield Hospital campus and long term involvement with the local parent-teacher organization.
Both women said they believe in a woman’s right to choose, consider climate change to be a major issue and were not in favor of a school district merger if the host town voted against it.
Whoever is appointed by Gov. Phil Scott will only fill Trieber’s seat until January, but both said they would run for a seat renewal if appointed by the governor.
Trieber resigned last month for his work in social services with disadvantaged children because he saw the commitment to the position as taking precedence over his work as Windham 3 representative and determined he could not give full attention to both responsibilities.
State Rep. Carolyne Partridge, D-Windham 3, will deliver the two official nominations to Gov. Scott who will then review the information, conduct interviews with both women and make his recommendation sometime between now and the end of the legislative session.
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