Last week I announced my campaign for state representative in the Windsor-1 district, which includes Hartland, Windsor, and West Windsor. I’ve been extremely humbled by the support I’ve received since Thursday’s announcement, and I’m excited to keep pushing forward. The message I’ve heard from Vermonters time and time again is clear: it costs too much to live here. I’ve centered my campaign around the mission of lowering costs and making the state we love more affordable. To me, that starts by putting workers, families, and year-round residents first. Every single time.
I want to start today by introducing myself to those who may not know me yet. My name is Dylan Morse. I’m a ninth-generation Vermonter who grew up in Hartland, just like my old man did. My parents raised me with two guiding principles: to work hard and to treat people well. Since grade school at Hartland Elementary, I’ve had a deep love for the social sciences: history, geography, and later, politics. Public service is, to me, how I will fulfill the simple yet profound directive my parents have instilled in me: to work hard on behalf of the public good, and to treat people well at scale through policy that makes us all better off.
I truly am a product of public education. I couldn’t be more grateful for all I’ve received from Hartland Elementary School, Hartford High School, and George Mason University. A strong, universal public education is to me, as it was to many of our nation’s founding fathers, a prerequisite to the longevity of democracy. For that reason, supporting public education is a pillar of my campaign. At a time of change in Vermont’s education system, it is important to have voices in the conversation who have been through it as students. Since my time as a Vermont public education student, I’ve returned to the classroom periodically as a substitute teacher. I’ve seen the challenges our teachers are up against. I’ve seen the needs of our students change. And I’m ready to get involved to do something about it.
I’ll be talking more about education - along with my other priorities - in the weeks to come, and I hope to hear more from you about yours. For now, here’s a snapshot of how I see the biggest challenges facing Vermont.
Housing: To shoot it straight, we need more. Home prices in Vermont have skyrocketed in recent years, keeping people of all ages locked out of the market. The state faces a housing shortage of around 30,000 homes! If I’m elected to serve in the state legislature, I’ll be a strong advocate for housing construction. People need access to the American Dream. Our democracy counts on it.
Population: I've talked with Vermonters of all ages about the costs they face to live in Vermont, and how much cheaper it could be for them to move elsewhere. Everyday Vermonters are leaving the state, and it’s exacerbating our challenges elsewhere: in education, in healthcare, and on Main Street. It doesn’t have to be this way. The day I step foot in the statehouse I’ll be committed to lowering the cost of living in Vermont in order to attract and retain workers and families.
Education: Right now, costs are rising while enrollment and test scores drop. That’s not an equation for success in Vermont. Lawmakers must empower teachers, seek to fill our classrooms, and equip our schools with proper resources - not close them down. Our kids and the taxpayers who support them deserve better. We need to change course. If I’m elected to the VT House of Representatives, I’ll be looking for ways to transform education to better serve our kids, our teachers, and our taxpayers.
Healthcare: Vermonters pay some of the highest healthcare premiums in the country. The rising costs are driving up education and household costs across the state, and our neighbors are going without the care they need. We need more young people in the state to balance the insurance risk pool. We need more nurses and providers. And we need preventative and primary care to stop emergencies before they happen. If I’m honored with your vote on August 11th, I’ll be focused on making sure healthcare is affordable, accessible, and actually helping us to live healthier and happier lives.
Landscape: Vermonters have a long tradition of living on the land. Our farmers and foresters are some of our best land stewards, and we need to empower them to continue that work. Vermont is at its best when everyday Vermonters can enjoy the outdoors, when our small family farms are able to thrive economically, and when environmentalism partners with rural communities. We need to make land livable for everyday Vermonters, not just the wealthy and second homeowners. It is this livable landscape that defines Vermont’s history and culture and must define its future if we hope to make it a place for everyone.
These are a handful of the issues I’ll be laser-focused on if I’m honored with your vote this year. The challenges are large, and it’s my belief that they will require new voices, creative solutions, and active and energetic policymakers in tune with Vermont’s future to begin to solve them. That’s what I’ll bring to the table in Montpelier because that’s what Hartland, Windsor, and West Windsor deserve.
You can learn more about my priorities for Vermont at my website: www.morseforvermont.com.
I might be bias, but I believe there’s something truly special about our community. My parents both worked a lot of hours when I was growing up, and as a result my path blended with the town’s. I’ve often said that the Hartland Rec Center was my second home from age 5-18, and honestly, during the summer it was probably my first. I can’t count the hours I’ve spent after school at the public library or at football practice at the Windsor fairgrounds. How many arcade games I’ve played at Pizza Chef. I’ve played dozens and dozens of basketball games at HES or on that awesome hardwood floor at Windsor High School. I’ve kayaked from Sumners Falls to the Windsor-Cornish covered bridge and summited Mt. Ascutney on numerous occasions. This community is where I learned to fish, learned to drive, learned to work, and became the person I am today. To serve it is an absolute dream of mine.
Today, our very sense of community is under threat by a national politics that seeks to tear us apart. Our country is divided between red and blue, and as a result, we’ve become more divided as a people. Congress - our first branch of government - has effectively ceased working on behalf of the American people. The Trump Administration thrives on our division. It thrives when we no longer look at each other as neighbors, but as partisan opponents. It thrives when we no longer look at each other as human beings.
We can’t treat the current events of today as “politics as usual” because it’s just not. The disaster unfolding in Washington has real effects on Vermonters: in our pockets, our constitutional rights, and our sense of shared community. That’s why I’m stepping up to run. For me, staying on the sidelines simply isn’t an option any longer. We need change. We need leadership in Montpelier who is committed to the rights and dignity of everyday Vermonters. We need to change how our country does politics and we can start right here. In Hartland. In Windsor. In West Windsor.
Join me, and we can start now.
Vote on August 11th!
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Thank you - and see you next week!
Dylan
Holy molly! Why am I not surprised? And your running as a Democrat??? We certainly need more youth in Gov. but, another Dem??? That's your first mistake, in my view. Your "Platform" sounds a-typical of a Politician. You hit all the hot/key words that are being used and abused today. This one especially,"Affordable"!!! Please tell me,what does that word mean, in real time, across all avenues??? It seems to me your going to play "Partisan" politics. Not a good start. At this point, who the hell doesn't like Donald Trump? You think he would win an election tomorrow?? I don't think so... Your a smart person Mr.Morse, but, you have a lot to learn.... By the way, I looked at your home port on Zillow, like you have done, and see it's worth a lot of money. 21 acres and a 5 bedroom house with 2.5 baths??? How many kids do you have??? lol ! Your to young to have that many kids...... :)