Political party Progressive Education University of Vermont Name David Zuckerman | Profession Organic farmer Spouse(s) Rachel Nevitt Party Vermont Progressive Party | |
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Born August 16, 1971 (age 52)
Boston, Massachusetts ( 1971-08-16 ) Role Vermont State Representative Residence Hinesburg, Vermont, United States | ||
Interview with lt gov candidate david zuckerman
David Zuckerman (born August 16, 1971) is an American businessman, politician and farmer. A member of the Progressive Party, he has served as the 81st Lieutenant Governor of Vermont since January 2017. He previously served in the Vermont House of Representatives for six terms (1997–2011), and the Vermont State Senate for two (2013–2017).
Contents
- Interview with lt gov candidate david zuckerman
- Senator david zuckerman
- Early life
- State House of Representatives
- State Senate
- Lieutenant Governor
- Opposition to Bush administration
- Property tax reform
- Equal pay
- GMO labeling
- Labor
- Agriculture
- References
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.
Zuckerman is the first Progressive candidate to win statewide office in Vermont. 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. Zuckerman's win further secured Vermont as a state with strong, constant presence of a major party other than the Democratic and Republican parties.
Senator david zuckerman
Early life
Zuckerman grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts, and graduated from Brookline High School in 1989. 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.
State House of Representatives
Prior to serving in the House, he served on the Burlington Electric Commission. Zuckerman ran for the Vermont House in 1994 while still enrolled in college, and lost by 59 votes. 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.
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. He finished his time in the House of Representatives by serving on the Ways and Means Committee.
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. Zuckerman eventually decided not to run in order to continue serving as Agriculture chairman in the Vermont House.
State Senate
Zuckerman later ran for Vermont State Senate from the Chittenden County district, the most populous county of the state, in the 2012 elections and won again as a Progressive. In the Senate, Zuckerman served on the Agriculture and Education committees; he was vice chairperson of Agriculture, and clerk of Education.
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. 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. It would also have the penalty for underage consumption of cannabis be the same as the current penalty for underage drinking.
Lieutenant Governor
In 2016, Zuckerman ran for Lieutenant Governor as a Progressive candidate, earning the endorsement of Bernie Sanders before the August 9 primary. 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.
Opposition to Bush administration
On April 25, 2006, Zuckerman introduced a resolution for the Vermont legislature to ask the US Congress to impeach President George W. Bush. The motion failed 87–60 in a roll call vote on April 25, 2007.
Property tax reform
Zuckerman supported a bill to lower property tax rates for households earning less than $200,000 in the 2015–16 session. He also helped pass legislation to model this reform in time for the 2017 session.
Equal pay
Zuckerman was a sponsor of H.440 in 2001, a bill which would require equal pay for equal work.
GMO labeling
In 2014, Zuckerman was the lead Senate author of Vermont's first-in-the-nation GMO Labeling Law.
Labor
Zuckerman has been a strong advocate of raising the minimum wage, paid family leave, and increasing protections for workers.
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. Zuckerman served on the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee. He is also a member of the Vermont Farm Bureau and The Northeast Organic Farming Association chapter in Vermont.
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. Their produce is almost exclusively sold within Chittenden County. 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.