Joanna E. Cole (born January 23, 1948) is an American politician and educator from

Burlington, Vermont Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located south of the Canada–United States border and south of Montreal. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 44,743. It ...

, in the United States. A member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

, she was elected to the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...

in 2012, representing the Chittenden-6-1 district, which includes Burlington's New North End. She took office on January 9, 2013.

Early life and career

Born in

Troy, New York Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany a ...

and educated at the

University of North Carolina at Charlotte The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs through nine colle ...

, Cole taught college-level chemistry, including stints at Millersville University of Pennsylvania and Lebanon Valley College.

In politics

2008 campaign

Cole first ran for the Vermont House in 2008, one of five candidates seeking two seats in the Chittenden-3-1 district. She placed second in the Democratic primary election behind incumbent Bill Aswad, beating the third-placed finisher by seven votes and assuring herself of a place on the general election ballot. In the general election, the two Democratic nominees and the two Republican nominees were chasing two seats. Cole finished third, behind the two incumbents:

Kurt Wright Kurt Wright (born February 7, 1956) is an American Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ...

, a Republican, and Aswad, a Democrat.

2010 campaign

In 2010, Cole ran again in the Chittenden-3-1 district. This time, there were only three contenders: Cole and the two incumbents. In the general election, Cole once again placed third, trailing Wright and Aswad.

2012 campaign

In 2012, due to redistricting, Cole's home was placed in the new two-member Chittenden-6-1 district, as were Wright's and Aswad's residences. Cole was one of four candidates running, including three Democrats. In the Democratic primary election, she placed first, beating incumbent Bill Aswad into second place. Cole and Aswad proceeded to the general election, as did Republican incumbent Kurt Wright. In the general election, Wright finished first with 2,332 votes while Cole came second, with 2,008. She beat out Aswad by just 21 votes.

Personal

She was director of the

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV or the League) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization in the United States. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include registering voters, providing voter information, and advocating for vot ...

of Vermont from 2007 to 2012. A

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

, she has served as the representative of the Burlington

Society of Friends Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...

to the Burlington Area Ministerial Association. She has also served as a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

since 2007. Cole is openly bisexual. She is married to Sarah Flynn, a retired priest. Her 2012 campaign won the support of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. She is one of six openly LGBT members of the

Vermont Legislature The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the state of Vermont, in the United States. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself. The G ...

, alongside representatives

Bill Lippert William J. Lippert, Jr., commonly known as Bill Lippert, is a legislator and gay rights activist from the U.S. state of Vermont who has served since 1994 in the Vermont House of Representatives as state representative of the Town of Hinesburg. H ...

(D– Hinesburg), Matt Trieber (D–

Bellows Falls Bellows Falls is an incorporated village located in the town of Rockingham in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,747 at the 2020 census. Bellows Falls is home to the Green Mountain Railroad, a heritage railroad; the ...

) and

Herb Russell Herbert A. Font-Russell was an American politician from Rutland City, Vermont. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in 2010, representing the Rutland-5-3 district. He took office on January 5, ...

(D–

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 ...

), as well as senators Brian Campion (D–

Bennington Bennington is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. It is one of two shire towns (county seats) of the county, the other being Manchester. As of the 2020 US Census, the population was 15,333. Bennington is the most populous to ...

) and Becca Balint (D– Windham).

References

External links

Campaign website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cole, Joanna 1948 births Living people Lebanon Valley College faculty Politicians from Burlington, Vermont Members of the Vermont House of Representatives LGBT state legislators in Vermont LGBT Protestants American Quakers University of North Carolina at Charlotte alumni Women state legislators in Vermont Bisexual women politicians American bisexual people American women academics 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century American LGBT people