David Zuckerman (politician)

David Zuckerman
81st Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
Assumed office
January 5, 2017
Governor Phil Scott
Preceded by Phil Scott
Member of the Vermont Senate
from the Chittenden district
In office
January 9, 2013 – January 2, 2017
Preceded by Multi-member district
Succeeded by Multi-member district
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives
from the Chittenden-3-4 district
In office
January 5, 1997 – January 5, 2011
Preceded by Multi-member district
Succeeded by Multi-member district
Personal details
Born (1971-08-16) August 16, 1971
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party Progressive
Other political
affiliations		 Democratic
Spouse(s) Rachel Nevitt
Education University of Vermont (BS)
Occupation Farmer

David Zuckerman (born August 16, 1971) is an American businessman and politician of the Vermont Progressive Party serving as the 81st and current Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, elected in 2016. He previously served in the Vermont House of Representatives for six terms (1997–2011), and the Vermont Senate for two (2013–2017).

In 2016 Zuckerman ran for lieutenant governor as a Progressive, and also received the nomination of the Democratic Party by defeating Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives Shap Smith and Representative Kesha Ram in the Democratic primary. He defeated Republican State Senator Randy Brock in the November 8th general election.[1][2]

Zuckerman is the first Progressive Party candidate to win statewide office in Vermont.[3] Other Progressive-endorsed candidates who have won statewide-office elections, including Doug Hoffer for Vermont State Auditor, were primarily affiliated with the Vermont Democratic Party.[4] Zuckerman's win further secured Vermont as a state with strong, constant presence of a major party other than the Democratic and Republican parties.

Early life

Zuckerman grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts, and graduated from Brookline High School in 1989.[5] In 1995, he graduated from the University of Vermont with a bachelor of science degree; he majored in Environmental Studies, with a minor in chemistry.[6]

Legislative career

State House of Representatives

Prior to serving in the House, he served on the Burlington Electric Commission.[7] Zuckerman ran for the Vermont House in 1994 while still enrolled in college, and lost by 59 votes.[8] He ran again two years later and become the fourth Progressive Party member to serve in the Vermont State House, a seat that he held through 2011.[9]

While in the House, he served for six years on the Natural Resources and Energy Committee as well as six years on the Agriculture Committee, including four as the chairperson.[7] He finished his time in the House of Representatives by serving on the Ways and Means Committee.[10]

Zuckerman considered running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2006 election when Vermont's lone was being vacated by independent Bernie Sanders, who was a candidate for the United States Senate.[11] Zuckerman eventually decided not to run in order to continue serving as Agriculture chairman in the Vermont House.[12]

State Senate

Zuckerman ran for Vermont State Senate from Chittenden County in the 2012 elections and won a seat in this six-member, at-large district.[13][14] In the Senate, Zuckerman served on the Agriculture and Education committees; he was vice chairperson of Agriculture, and clerk of Education.[10]

In his time in the legislature, Zuckerman was involved in the passage of Vermont's civil union and marriage equality laws, workers' rights legislation, increasing the minimum wage, sustainable (economic and environmental) agricultural policy, cannabis policy reform, election law reform, many renewable energy initiatives, progressive taxation policy as well as universal healthcare.

In January 2014, Zuckerman introduced legislation that would allow for recreational sale and use of cannabis.[15] If passed it would allow for possession of up to 2 ounces of cannabis, and the cultivation of up to 3 plants for anyone 21 and over.[16] It would also have the penalty for underage consumption of cannabis be the same as the current penalty for underage drinking.[16]

Lieutenant Governor

In 2016, Zuckerman ran for Lieutenant Governor as a Progressive candidate, earning the endorsement of Bernie Sanders before the August 9 primary.[17] He ran unopposed in the Progressive primary, while simultaneously defeating Vermont House Speaker Shap Smith and Representative Kesha Ram to win the Democratic nomination, and went on to defeat Republican Randy Brock in the general election.[1]

Political positions

Opposition to Bush administration

On April 25, 2006, Zuckerman introduced a resolution for the Vermont State Legislature to ask the United States Congress to impeach President George W. Bush.[18] The motion failed 87–60 in a roll call vote on April 25, 2007.[19]

Property tax reform

Zuckerman supported a bill to lower property tax rates for households earning less than $200,000 in the 2015–16 session.[20] He also helped pass legislation to model this reform in time for the 2017 session.[21]

Equal pay

Zuckerman was a sponsor of H.440 in 2001, a bill which would require equal pay for equal work.[22]

GMO labeling

In 2014, Zuckerman was the lead Senate author of Vermont's first-in-the-nation GMO Labeling Law.[23]

Labor

Zuckerman has been a strong advocate of raising the minimum wage, paid family leave, and increasing protections for workers.[24]

Agriculture

Beginning in 1999 Zuckerman and his wife Rachel Nevitt built a successful organic farm in Burlington's Intervale, a network of a dozen farms located in and serving the city.[7] Zuckerman served on the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee.[7] He is also a member of the Vermont Farm Bureau and The Northeast Organic Farming Association chapter in Vermont.[7]

In 2009 Zuckerman and Nevitt moved their farm to 150 acres (610,000 m2) in Hinesburg where they grow 20 acres (81,000 m2) of vegetables and raise 1000 chickens.[7] Their produce is almost exclusively sold within Chittenden County.[25] They operate a summer Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) with 275 members, a winter CSA with 125 members, and sell year round at the local Burlington farmers market.[26]

References

  1. 1 2 DeSmet, Nicole Higgins (9 August 2016). "Zuckerman wins race for Dems lt. governor". Burlington Free Press. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  2. ↑ McCullum, April (November 9, 2016). "RESULTS: Zuckerman wins lt. governor's race". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT.
  3. ↑ True, Morgan (November 9, 2016). "Zuckerman Takes Lieutenant Governor Post". VT Digger. Montpelier, VT.
  4. ↑ Office of the Vermont Secretary of State (2014). "General Election results, Auditor of Accounts: 1884-2014" (PDF). www.sec.state.vt.us/. Montpelier, VT: Vermont State Archives and Records Administration. p. 12.
  5. ↑ Muddy River Annual. Brookline: Brookline High School. 1989.
  6. ↑ Craven, Jasper (November 20, 2015). "Zuckerman adds name as candidate for lieutenant governor". Mountain Times. Killington, VT. VT Digger.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Zuckerman adds name as candidate for lieutenant governor".
  8. ↑ "Candidate biography, David E. Zuckerman". VT Digger. Montpelier, VT. 2016.
  9. ↑ "About Dave". Zuckerman for Chittenden County. David Zuckerman. Archived from the original on 3 August 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  10. 1 2 "Candidate biography, David E. Zuckerman".
  11. ↑ Hallenbeck, Terri (February 16, 2006). "Zuckerman Bows Out of House Race; Criticizes Voting By Fear". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT.
  12. ↑ "Zuckerman Bows Out of House Race".
  13. ↑ Galloway, Anne (November 7, 2012). "Dems sweep all but one statewide seat, hold "supermajority" in House, Senate". VT Digger. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  14. ↑ Remsen, Nancy (January 7, 2013). "The everyday farmers' perspective Work informs goals for two new Senators". Burlington Free Press. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
  15. ↑ Zuckerman, David (2014). "S. 306, as Introduced by Senator Zuckerman" (PDF). leg.state.vt.us/. Montpelier, VT: Vermont general Assembly. p. 1.
  16. 1 2 "S. 306, as Introduced by Senator Zuckerman".
  17. ↑ Heintz, Paul (2 August 2016). "In Race for LG, Sanders Endorses Zuckerman, Dean Backs Smith". Seven Days. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  18. ↑ Allen, Darren (April 25, 2006). "Some Vt. lawmakers push for Bush impeachment". Rutland, VT: Rutland Herald.
  19. ↑ Vermont House Rejects Impeachment Resolution
  20. ↑ Jickling, Katie (September 8, 2016). "Zuckerman Vows To Build Engagement as Vt.'s #2". Randolph Herald. Randolph, VT.
  21. ↑ "Zuckerman Vows To Build Engagement as Vt.’s #2".
  22. ↑ "The Vermont Legislative Bill Tracking System". www.leg.state.vt.us. Retrieved 2016-05-27.
  23. ↑ Gillam, Carey (April 26, 2014). "Vermont governor says he'll sign GMO food-labeling bill". Bangor Daily News. Bangor, ME. Reuters.
  24. ↑ Hallenbeck, Terri (November 9, 2016). "Vermont Picks Zuckerman for Lieutenant Governor, Donovan for Attorney General". Seven Days. Burlington, VT.
  25. ↑ "About Full Moon Farm". Full Moon Farm. Hinesburg, VT: Full Moon Farm Inc. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
  26. ↑ "About Full Moon Farm".
Political offices
Preceded by
Phil Scott		 Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
2017–present		 Incumbent
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