I’m the only candidate in the Bennington-4 house race to win an early endorsement from the Vermont Conservation Voters for my stance on environmental and climate-change issues. This endorsement means the world to me … literally.

Founded in 1982, VCV works to elect environmentally-friendly candidates to public office, and then holds elected officials accountable for the decisions they make affecting our air, water, communities, land, and wildlife.

After each legislative biennium, VCV publishes an Environmental Scorecard to highlight Vermont state legislators’ voting records on issues that impact the environment. These scorecards help provide voters with a clear record of who is voting in support of environmental priorities … and who isn’t.

VCV’s scorecard is one of the single most effective tools available to determine the true extent to which a candidate for office is committed to “green” public policy. In recent years, VCV has scored votes on clean energy, water quality, toxic chemicals, endangered species, healthy forests and working lands, and more.

I’m grateful to the many Northshire residents and local and statewide organizations who are taking the lead on these vital issues.

Learn more about VCV here:http://vermontconservationvoters.com/legislative-scorecard/

Thanks to correspondent Madeline Bodin, who wrote this article on grassroots activism for the June 30 edition of the Rutland Herald. Scroll down for a few quotes from yours truly:

“James doesn’t see her time as a grassroots activist as separate from her political career. For her, it’s all part of her ‘arc of activism.’

She said, ‘The Women’s March was a very powerful experience for me. I had stepped out of politics, and it was time to step back in. I will be motivated for the rest of my life by what I felt that day.'”

That’s for damn sure. Click here to read the article.

Local activist Theo Talcott recently hosted me on his talk show, “Bernie Blackout News.” The show aired on GNAT (Greater Northshire Access Television), our local nonprofit media organization. Click here to watch our conversation.

My campaign was featured on the Emerge Vermont website. I’m a proud 2018 graduate of Emerge’s intensive, six-month training program, which encourages and prepares women Democrats to run for office at all levels of government. (To read the blog post about my campaign, click here.)

Why is Emerge and its work so important? As executive director Ruth Hardy says:

“As the number of elected Democratic women remains flat or even declines, the need for our work is growing. In the 226 years since its statehood, Vermont has never elected a woman to the U.S. House of Representatives or to the U.S. Senate, and only one woman has served as Governor of Vermont. Only 11 women have ever been elected to statewide office in the history of the state. Of 180 State Legislators, only 41% are women, and of the over 1,000 Local Selectboard Members, only 21% are women.

“A pool of highly qualified Democratic candidates is being left untapped. Too often, women do not see themselves running for office—they assume they aren’t experienced enough to serve in office or they don’t know where to begin. Emerge Vermont helps women gain confidence, practices skills, organize their campaigns, and be a part of a powerful network of Democratic women and their supporters.”

Hear, hear: What she said!  To read the blog post about my campaign, click here.