Dustin Allard Degree Explained

Dustin Degree
Office:Minority Leader of the Vermont Senate
Term Start:January 6, 2017
Term End:November 15, 2017
Predecessor:Joe Benning
Successor:Joe Benning
State Senate1:Vermont
State1:Vermont
District1:Franklin
Term Start1:January 7, 2015
Term End1:November 15, 2017
Predecessor1:Donald Collins
Successor1:Randy Brock
State House2:Vermont
District2:St. Albans City
Term Start2:January 5, 2011
Term End2:January 3, 2013
Predecessor2:Jeff Young
Successor2:Mike McCarthy
Party:Republican
Birth Date:12 February 1985
Residence:St. Albans City, Vermont
Alma Mater:Tilton School
Norwich University
University of Vermont

Dustin Allard Degree (born February 12, 1985) is a politician from the city of St. Albans in the U.S. state of Vermont. A Republican, he represented St. Albans in the Vermont General Assembly during the 2011-2012 biennial session. Degree graduated from Bellows Free Academy, St. Albans in 2003, attended the Tilton School in 2004, and attended Norwich University and the University of Vermont. He worked in the office of Governor Jim Douglas.

In June 2010, Degree left his job in the governor's office to run for the Vermont House of Representatives, seeking the Franklin-3 District seat in the General Assembly to represent St. Albans City. He cited fiscal responsibility and the need to provide more opportunities to young Vermonters as his top priorities during the campaign.[1]

On November 2, 2010, Degree defeated one-term incumbent State Representative Jeff Young by 243 votes to secure one of the two seats in the district.[2] When he took office on January 5, 2011, at 25 years old, he was the second youngest member of the Vermont General Assembly and the youngest Republican serving in the Legislature. Degree was also the principal in the St. Albans consulting company Champlain Strategies, LLC.[3]

In 2012, Degree ran for the State Senate; he won a nomination for one of Franklin County's two seats.[4] In the general election, he was defeated by only 34 votes, a result which was confirmed by a recount.

Degree ran again in 2014; in November, he won election to one of Franklin County's two seats.[5]

In 2016, Degree was reelected to a second term.[6] In January 2017, the Republican members of the State Senate chose him to serve as minority leader.[7]

Degree resigned from the Senate in November 2017 in order to join the administration of Governor Phil Scott as special assistant to the governor and executive director of workforce expansion.[8]

In December 2017, Scott announced that he had appointed Randy Brock to fill the Senate vacancy caused by Degree's resignation.[9]

External links

Notes and References

  1. St. Albans Messenger - Dustin Degree
  2. Web site: (Vermont Election Results, Vermont Secretary of State) . 2010-12-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101226213138/http://vermont-elections.org/elections1/2010GEStateRep.pdf . 2010-12-26 . dead .
  3. News: McCallum . April . November 15, 2017 . Vt. Senate minority leader to join governor's office . Burlington Free Press . Burlington, VT.
  4. News: December 4, 2012 . Collins wins in recount against Degree for Franklin County Senate seat . VT Digger . Montpelier, VT . .
  5. News: November 5, 2014 . VPR's 2014 Election Coverage . Vermont Public Radio . Colchester, VT.
  6. News: Polhamus . Mike . November 9, 2016 . Degree, Branagan take Franklin County Senate seats . VT Digger . Montpelier, VT.
  7. News: Johnson . Mark . January 9, 2017 . Senate GOP changes leadership as last year's divisions linger . VT Digger . Montpelier, VT.
  8. News: November 15, 2017 . Franklin County Senator to join Scott administration . WCAX-TV . Burlington, VT.
  9. News: Hewitt . Elizabeth . December 27, 2017 . Brock to fill vacant Franklin County Senate seat . VTDigger . Montpelier, VT.