Campaign Countdown: Meet the candidates for Vermont attorney general

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – It’s a yr of change in Vermont politics, with open seats in six of eight statewide workplaces. That features lawyer basic, a place left open when T.J. Donovan determined to not run once more after six years on the job.

Within the major elections in August, Charity Clark defeated Rory Thibault by a 30-point margin to win the Democratic nomination for the job.

The GOP chosen Michael Tagliavia as their candidate, changing the placeholder major winner, H. Brooke Paige.

Now, the race to turn into Vermont’s subsequent high prosecutor is on.

Democrat Charity Clark has labored within the lawyer basic’s workplace for the final eight years, most lately as Donovan’s chief of workers. She believes her expertise units her aside.

“I consider we’d like an lawyer basic who understands the depth and breadth of the workplace and might leverage the workplace for the very best outcomes for Vermonters,” Clark stated.

Republican Michael Tagliavia was recruited by the GOP to run within the basic election changing the placeholder candidate H. Brooke Paige.

Tagliavia is from Lengthy Island however moved to Corinth in 2015. He’s not a lawyer and doesn’t maintain a regulation diploma, and he says that may breathe new life into the workplace.

“I do know the distinction between proper and improper. No, I’m not an lawyer. I believe as a result of I can carry a recent perspective, perhaps I can break the echo chamber impact,” Tagliavia stated.

Clark says she needs to make sure the state’s legal justice system displays Vermonters’ values, with a concentrate on defending customers, and a focus towards home violence prevention and legal justice reform.

“I consider we have to develop our sealing and expungement invoice which is able to assist of us with previous legal information get these information sealed to allow them to transfer on with their lives and get a greater job,” Clark stated.

Tagliavia says he needs to take a extra punitive method. He says his priorities are curbing the overdose disaster, addressing an increase in crime and advocating for regulation enforcement.

“They want the funding and the coaching and the assist of the group to allow them to get their job carried out safely. I believe they’re a part of the answer to an issue that we have now,” Tagliavia stated.

Each candidates agree on the problem of defending customers and addressing the opioid disaster by offering higher entry to therapy.

“We have to have wraparound providers and psychological well being counseling and treating the entire particular person,” Clark stated.

“We want to have the ability to be in a position– and the lawyer basic’s workplace, particularly the legal division if want be– to place them ready the place they want to select: incarceration or get the assistance that they want,” Tagliavia stated.

Gov. Phil Scott appointed Susanne Younger to fill the lawyer basic’s seat for the rest of Donovan’s time period. The winner on Nov. 8 will take workplace in January.

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