BY ANGELO LYNN
Brandon-Pittsford-Proctor — In separate but recent statements, Rep. Stephanie Jerome, D-Brandon, and Rep. Butch Shaw, R-Pittsford, announced they would be running for re-election for their respective, and newly drawn, districts. Both are currently representing the towns of Brandon, Pittsford and Sudbury in the two-person Rutland-6 House district. Due to the redistricting law pass this session, Brandon will be represented by a one-person district, and the towns of Pittsford-Proctor will be represented by a single legislator.
Rep. Jerome, who lives in Brandon, said she would be filing the paperwork for her run for the seat representing Brandon, while Rep. Shaw, who lives in Pittsford, is filing paperwork to represent Pittsford and Proctor. If elected, it would be Shaw’s seventh term to serve, while it would be Jerome’s third term, if elected.
Shaw’s new district would be Rutland-8. Shaw was first appointed to the House by former Gov. Jim Douglas in 2009. Shaw and his wife, Mary, are native Vermonters and have lived in Pittsford since 1968.
In a recent column written for The Reporter, Shaw said he had enjoyed representing the towns of Pittsford, Brandon and Sudbury for the past 10 years, and looked forward to serving his new constituents in Proctor, if elected. He also reached out to all other residents he has served over the years, saying that if anyone had any state-related problems or issues, that he would be happy to address their concerns, if he could, even if he was no longer officially representing those towns. Shaw is vice chairman of the House Transportation Committee.
Jerome has previously said she has enjoyed serving residents in the three-town district, but looked forward to devoting her undivided attention to serve the people of Brandon, if re-elected. “The whole purpose of the redistricting effort this time was to get as close as possible to one-representative per district precisely because it helps legislators focus their efforts on serving the public to the best of their abilities,” she said.
In making her announcement, Jerome reached out to residents of the three towns in Rutland-6, reminding them that she would remain their representative until January 2023. “Today I submitted my paperwork to the Brandon Town Clerk to run for re-election to the VT House of Representatives for Rutland-6 district (Brandon). I will represent Brandon, Pittsford and Sudbury in the legislature until January 2023. Please continue to be in touch and let me know how I can assist you.”
The same, of course, is true for Rep. Shaw.
To date, no other candidates have filed paperwork for either seat.
