Amanda Cochrane, a Democrat from St. Johnsbury, has announced her candidacy for one of two Vermont House seats in the Caledonia-Essex district. The district includes the towns of Concord, Kirby, and St. Johnsbury.
Cochrane, executive director of Umbrella, a domestic violence support organization, previously ran for the Caledonia Senate seat in 2024, losing to Republican Scott Beck. She said that experience taught her that local residents often feel unheard by state government.
“There are so many people here who want to feel like their government’s working for them, and they don’t always feel that way,” Cochrane told the Caledonian Record.
Five candidates are now vying for the two seats. Democrats Cochrane and Heather Young face Republicans Steve and Debbie Dolgin, as well as independent Brandolyn Bradley. All reside in St. Johnsbury.
Cochrane said she decided to run after initially thinking it was not the right time. She said she felt compelled to give voters more options. “We need more viewpoints. We need more of a choice here,” she said.
Her platform includes reforming Vermont’s education funding model to ensure rural voices are heard, supporting voluntary rather than forced school district consolidation, and balancing Act 250’s environmental protections with local development needs. She emphasized affordability, particularly housing and healthcare costs.
“In the Northeast Kingdom, we should be careful about adding unnecessary barriers, costs, or delays for people who want to make use of their own land or invest in their communities,” Cochrane said of Act 250.
She stressed the importance of reaching across partisan lines. “We need to be able to meet with people who may not agree with us,” she said. “It shouldn’t be who’s in the majority, who’s in the minority, who’s blue or red. We have our own issues here in the Northeast Kingdom.”
Originally reported by Caledonian Record.
Photo: Olek Buzunov via Unsplash. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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