Michael D. Sirotkin (born 1948) is an American politician and lawyer. Originally from

Queens, New York Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long I ...

, Sirotkin went to the

Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania ( ; also known as Wharton Business School, the Wharton School, Penn Wharton, and Wharton) is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, a Private university, private Ivy League rese ...

and the

Sturm College of Law The Sturm College of Law ("Denver Law") is the professional graduate law school of the University of Denver. It is one of two law schools in the state of Colorado. Founded in 1892, the Sturm College of Law was one of the first in America's Mountai ...

. Sirotkin met Sally Fox while taking a class in preparation for the Colorado bar exam.Freeman, Betsie (January 16, 2014). "Omaha native Fox, 62, was Vermont lawmaker". ''Omaha World-Herald'' (Omaha, Nebraska). p. 2B. They married on October 7, 1979. Sirotkin and Fox moved to Vermont when Sirotkin received a job offer there. Sirotkin then practiced law in

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

and lived in

South Burlington, Vermont South Burlington is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. Along with neighboring Burlington, it is a principal city of the Burlington metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 20,292. It is home to the head ...

. He worked as a public policy attorney and

lobbyist In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, which ...

for the

American Heart Association The American Heart Association (AHA) is a nonprofit organization in the United States that funds cardiovascular medical research, educates consumers on healthy living and fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and death ...

, Community of Vermont Elders, the Vermont State Labor Council

AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 12 million ac ...

, the Vermont State Colleges Faculty Federation, the Buildings and Construction Trades Council, the Vermont Troopers Association, Patient Choices Vermont, Sirotkin's wife, Sally Fox, was a

State Senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

. Fox died of a rare form of lung cancer on January 10, 2014.Remsen, Nancy (January 11, 2014). "Legislators mourn the loss of Sally Fox". ''The Burlington Free Press''. p. 5."Sally Gail Fox". ''Florida Today'' (Melbourne, Florida). January 11, 2014. Before Fox died, she suggested Sirotkin seek appointment to her seat in the Senate. Following Fox's death, the Chittenden County Democratic Party voted to recommend that

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Peter Shumlin Peter Elliott Shumlin (born March 24, 1956) is an American politician from Vermont. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 81st governor of Vermont from 2011 to 2017. He was first elected to the office in 2010, and was reelected to a ...

appoint Sirotkin to the vacant seat in the Senate. Governor Shumlin appointed Sirotkin on January 27, 2014.Hallenbeck, Terri (January 28, 2017). "Shumlin appoints Sirotkin to Chittenden County Senate seat, replacing late wife". ''The Burlington Free Press''. p. 7. After being appointed to the Senate, Sirotkin severed his financial ties with his lobbying firm of Sirotkin and Necrason. Sirotkin was sworn into office on February 10, 2014.Hallenbeck, Terri (February 12, 2014). "Sirotkin: No seat I'd rather sit in". ''The Burlington Free Press''. p. 3. Sirotkin ran for election to a full-term in the Senate several months later. Fourteen candidates ran for the six seats to represent the Chitternden."Chittenden County incumbent senators retain their seats". ''The Burlington Free Press''. November 5, 2014. p. 14. Sirotkin came in sixth place, winning election for a full term in the Senate. Sirotkin joined the

board of directors A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...

of Hunger Free Vermont in 2016. In 2016, Sirotkin ran for reelection. Sirotkin won reelection to a second full term.Aloe, Jess (November 9, 2016). "Chittenden Senate seats Dems, Progs". ''The Burlington Free Press''. p. A12.

Notes

External links

Senate web site

Campaign web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sirotkin, Michael 1948 births Living people Politicians from Queens, New York People from South Burlington, Vermont Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania alumni Sturm College of Law alumni Vermont lawyers Democratic Party Vermont state senators 21st-century American politicians