Brenda Lynn Siegel is an American activist and politician who was the Democratic nominee in the

2022 Vermont gubernatorial election The 2022 Vermont gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Vermont. Incumbent Republican Governor Phil Scott easily defeated Democrat Brenda Siegel for his 4th consecutive term. This race was one of six Repu ...

. She previously ran in the Democratic primaries for lieutenant governor of Vermont in 2020 and for governor of Vermont in 2018.

Activism

Siegel is an activist for housing and drug policy. Siegel and fellow activists slept on the steps leading to the Vermont State House for 27 nights to protest

homelessness Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

and advocate for the reinstatement of a Vermont program to provide housing in motels during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. She left when the Department for Children and Families updated their "adverse weather conditions" emergency housing policy for the upcoming winter. Siegel has also advocated for the decriminalization of small amounts of the narcotic buprenorphine.

2022 gubernatorial campaign

Democratic primary

Siegel announced her candidacy on May 2, 2022. Siegel was the only gubernatorial candidate in the Democratic primary. NBC News projected her primary win just after the polls closed. Siegel was endorsed by former governor Howard Dean, state Rep. Kevin "Coach" Christie D-Windsor 4-2, state Rep. Tristan Toleno D-Windham 2-3,

Rutland Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire. Its greatest len ...

Alderman Anna Tadio, and youth advocate Addie Lentzner. She was also endorsed by Sierra Club Vermont, Vermont Conservation Voters, VPIRG, and Rights and Democracy.

General election

The general election took place on November 8, 2022; she lost by a wide margin. Siegel ran against the Republican nominee, incumbent governor Phil Scott.

Personal life

Siegel grew up in Brattleboro, Vermont and currently lives in Newfane. Her brother died of a drug overdose when Siegel was 19, and her nephew died of the same cause in 2018. Siegel is a single mother to her son Ajna, and the two experienced various financial hardships, including some as a result of

tropical storm Irene The name Irene was used for thirteen cyclones worldwide: 12 tropical and one extratropical. Of the tropical cyclones named Irene, seven were in the Atlantic, two were in the South Pacific, and the Western Pacific, South-West Indian Ocean and Austral ...

. Siegel was an intern for then-Rep.

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...

' office in 2001.

References

External links

Brenda Siegel for Vermont
campaign website * {{DEFAULTSORT:Siegel, Brenda 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians Bisexual politicians Bisexual women Hampshire College alumni LGBT people from Vermont American LGBT politicians Living people People from Brattleboro, Vermont People from Newfane, Vermont Vermont Democrats Women in Vermont politics Year of birth missing (living people)