By Katy Savage, Standard Staff
The Democratic candidates for the Windsor-5 district seat representing Plymouth, Reading and Woodstock, Ron Miller and Charlie Kimbell, are both heavily involved in local organizations. They’ve organized local events and they know what it’s like to be a village business owner.
Both candidates support universal background checks and a ban on assault weapons.
“You have a tough choice. We even dressed very similarly,” said Miller on Thursday, getting some laughs from the audience at a Democratic candidates forum in the upstairs meeting room at the Woodstock Town Hall.
Though they were both clad in blue Oxford shirts, each tried to stand out from the other at Thursday’s forum. When asked, Kimbell said the biggest difference between them is that he is more pro-business than his opponent.
Where Kimbell says a stronger business economy will attract youth to the state, Miller cited a study that shows the net migration of young people is even. He said young people are moving here to start small businesses, like breweries.
“I don’t think it’s a horrible crisis at this point,” Miller said.
Where Kimbell said that state regulations make it hard for businesses to want to come here, Miller cited a study from the Institute for Local Self Reliance that says Vermont has more small businesses per capita than almost any other state. (A 2009 interactive map from Country Business Partners shows Vermont has about 30 small businesses with less than 100 employees per 1,000 people — more than most every other state).
“Small businesses are doing well here,” Miller said. “The regulations don’t seem to be hurting them too much.”
Kimbell unsuccessfully ran for state senate in 2004 as a Republican before he switched parties, believing that his views were more aligned with the Democrats. Kimbell calls himself a “blue dog Democrat.” He said he’s conservative on fiscal issues and liberal on social issues. He believes in small government and a less taxes. He’s pro-choice.
Miller is a progressive Democrat who has never run for office. He grew up in Chicago and has a Ph.D. in American studies. He’s spent his career working in education, formerly teaching at Champlain, St. Michael’s and Goddard Colleges. He’s currently the director of the Learning Lab in Woodstock and chair of Sustainable Woodstock.
Some in the 100-person audience left the night unsure of who’d they vote for in the Aug. 9 primary election.
Meg Matz of Woodstock was undecided. She liked the way Miller spoke.
“His background is appealing to me,” she said. But “Charlie’s point on economics is huge.”
Joe DiNatale of Woodstock knows Kimbell, but, “I was impressed by what Ron had to say and how he said it,” he said. “Two great candidates — it’s going to be tough.”
Keith Cappellini of Plymouth, the sole Republican candidate, will face the winner of the Democratic primary. He was in the audience with his own question for Kimbell on Thursday.
He asked why Kimbell supported a one percent tax on rooms and meals when Kimbell says he favors lesser taxes.
“Wouldn’t this increase taxes?” Cappellini asked.
Kimbell, who grew up in Saint Albans and has a background in marketing, and is chair of the nine-member Woodstock Economic Development Commission, which governs the option tax, and collects money to promote activities that will increase and diversify the Woodstock population and attract more people to move here.
“Yes I understand Keith’s reluctance to adopting the tax…but we put in place some really very careful restrictions on how the money could be spent,” Kimbell said.
Miller voted in favor of the controversial tax when it was established a year ago.
The winner will face Cappellini in the general election Nov. 8.
“It seems like Ron’s got a lot of momentum behind him,” Cappellini said. “If I had to pick one now I’d say Ron is the frontrunner, but it’s hard to say, both are pretty good candidates.”
This article first appeared in the July 28, 2016 edition of the Vermont Standard.