Scott Edward Milne (born March 10, 1959)
is an American businessman and
political candidate
A candidate, or nominee, is the prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position; for example:
* to be elected to an office — in this case a candidate selection procedure occurs.
* ...
from
North Pomfret, Vermont. A
Republican, Milne was the party's nominee for
Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
The lieutenant governor of Vermont is elected for a two-year term and chosen separately from the governor. The Vermont Lieutenant Governor's main responsibilities include acting as governor when the governor is out of state or incapacitated, presi ...
in
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
, losing to Democrat
Molly Gray
Molly Rose Gray (born March 18, 1984) is an American attorney and politician serving as the 83rd and current lieutenant governor of Vermont. A member of the Democratic Party, she was an assistant attorney general for Vermont from 2018 to 2021.
...
; the nominee for
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
in
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, losing to incumbent Democrat
Patrick Leahy
Patrick Joseph Leahy (; born March 31, 1940) is an American politician and attorney who is the senior United States senator from Vermont and serves as the president pro tempore of the United States Senate. A member of the Democratic Party, Le ...
; and the nominee for
Governor of Vermont
The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...
in
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...
, losing to two-term incumbent
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 ...
in the closest gubernatorial election in Vermont since
1962
Events January
* January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand.
* January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism.
* January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wo ...
.
Early life and education
Milne was the second of four children born to
Donald
Donald is a masculine given name derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinterpretation of the ...
and
Marion Milne in the
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* ...
borough of
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, beh ...
.
The family lived in the town of
Barre, Vermont, until 1964 then moved to the
Orange County town of
Washington. Their new home, Twin Brook Farm, had been a working sheep farm for much of the 1800s.
His parents started Milne Travel American Express in 1975.
Milne himself was entrepreneurial as a child, "from selling newspapers and rabbits as a kid, to painting houses, to promoting concerts...." Additionally he has worked as a farm laborer, construction worker, grocery store clerk, bartender and waiter, political campaign aide, and investigator for a
public defender
A public defender is a lawyer appointed to represent people who otherwise cannot reasonably afford to hire a lawyer to defend themselves in a trial. Several countries provide people with public defenders, including the UK, Hungary and Singapore, ...
as an unpaid intern.
Milne graduated from Barre's
Spaulding High School in 1977 and attended the
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is amon ...
for a year.
He then transferred to the
University of Redlands
The University of Redlands is a private university headquartered in Redlands, California. The university's main, residential campus is situated on 160 acres (65 ha) near downtown Redlands. An additional eight regional locations throughout Califo ...
, where he graduated in 1981 with a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
degree in
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions an ...
.
In college, Milne was arrested and convicted three times: twice for driving under the influence of alcohol, and once for possession of
marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various ...
and
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ame ...
.
Business and civic life
Milne has worked at Milne Travel since the mid-1980s. It was started by his parents in 1975, and Milne later took over operation of the company.
Milne serves as President of the Vermont Society of Travel Agents and as an advisory board member for the Australian company Travcorp. He was an advisory board member of
American Express
American Express Company (Amex) is an American multinational corporation specialized in payment card services headquartered at 200 Vesey Street in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. The company was found ...
and
Avis. He is involved with the Vermont
Chamber of Commerce
A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to ...
and was president of the Vermont Association of Private and Non-Profit Organizations.
Through Milne Travel, Milne supports more than one hundred civic and non-profit organizations.
Political family
Milne's paternal grandfather, Henry Milne, served in Vermont's state House representing Barre. He also worked for U.S. Senator
George Aiken
George David Aiken (August 20, 1892November 19, 1984) was an American politician and horticulturist. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 64th governor of Vermont (1937–1941) before serving in the United States Senate for 34 years, ...
and served as state employment commissioner. A Milne cousin,
James F. Milne, served as Vermont's secretary of state from 1995 to 1999.
Milne's father Donald served one year in the Vermont House. He also worked as an assistant clerk in Vermont's House and Senate, and as House clerk after 1993. He also made unsuccessful bids for the Legislature and for state's attorney, and was a longtime selectman for the town of Washington.
Milne's mother Marion served three two-year terms in the state House. In 2000, she cast a vote in favor of
civil unions, and her subsequent unpopularity among conservative Republicans led to her loss when she ran for re-nomination later that year. Running as an
Independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
in the
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
, she fell short of retaining her seat.
Political life
Milne worked on the 1980 U.S. Senate primary campaign of Stewart Ledbetter, who won the Republican nomination but was defeated in the general election by the incumbent Democrat,
Patrick Leahy
Patrick Joseph Leahy (; born March 31, 1940) is an American politician and attorney who is the senior United States senator from Vermont and serves as the president pro tempore of the United States Senate. A member of the Democratic Party, Le ...
. In 2000, Milne campaigned door-to-door for his mother as she attempted to retain her legislative seat.
[
In 2006, Milne won the Republican nomination for a Windsor County seat in 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 ...
, and lost to the Democratic nominee, Mark B. Mitchell.
In 2014, Milne was the Republican nominee for governor. He narrowly lost to the Democratic nominee, incumbent 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 ...
.
In 2016, Milne was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senator, and lost to incumbent Patrick Leahy.
Milne won the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in 2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
. He faced Democrat Molly Gray
Molly Rose Gray (born March 18, 1984) is an American attorney and politician serving as the 83rd and current lieutenant governor of Vermont. A member of the Democratic Party, she was an assistant attorney general for Vermont from 2018 to 2021.
...
in the general election. Milne hired Republican political operative Jim Barnett for his campaign. In the general election held on November 3, Gray defeated Milne.
Political positions
ProgressVT Plan
In September 2020, Milne released his ProgressVT plan, a ten-pillar approach containing proposed policy reforms he would work towards as lieutenant governor. These include protecting the economically disadvantaged, revitalizing rural Vermont, opening up the lieutenant governor's office, growing the workforce, reforming health care, expanding educational opportunities, streamlining state government, securing our environment, valuing entrepreneurs, and tackling affordability. These include repealing Vermont's tax on Social Security income, eliminating the state taxation of military retirement income, simplifying occupational licensing requirements, bolstering state ethics laws, adjusting child care ratio flexibility, expanding tax credits for entrepreneurs, creating a sales tax holiday for electric vehicles and energy efficient equipment, and streamlining permitting laws, among other reforms.
Legalization of Marijuana
Milne was opposed to the legalization of recreational marijuana. In September 2016, Milne stated that he was opposed to further decriminalization of drugs, and thought that Vermont should pass stricter drug laws.
Firearms
Milne is a proponent of expanding background checks for purchasing firearms, and supports banning certain types of firearm.
Abortion
Milne describes himself as "pro-life", but his campaign has stated that he maintains pro-choice positions while also opposing healthcare providers being forced to offer free birth control coverage.
2014 Vermont gubernatorial election
Milne was the Republican nominee for Governor of Vermont
The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...
in 2014. He finished in second place in the popular vote with 87,075 votes (45.1 percent). Two-time incumbent Democratic governor, 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 ...
, came in first with 89,509 popular votes (46.4 percent). Libertarian candidate Dan Feliciano earned 8,428 (4.4 percent). Because no candidate received 50 percent of the popular vote, the decision was made in Shumlin's favor by 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 ...
and Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...
. Milne was slow to concede defeat, noting that 54 percent of Vermonters voted against the incumbent. He later declined a recount request, citing the expected cost to the state.
According to uncertified results, Milne came within 2,434 votes of beating the two-term incumbent Democratic governor. A challenger had not defeated an incumbent governor in Vermont since 1962 when Phil Hoff, riding the popular wave of President John F. Kennedy, became the first Democratic governor in the state since 1854.
Milne declined to call for a recount of the vote—a right he earned by state law by coming within 2%—saying: "It is extremely unlikely, almost unfathomable, that a recount would put either candidate above the 50 percent mark." With no candidate gaining 50% of the popular vote, the election was decided by the 180 members of the Vermont House and Senate in January 2015.
While Shumlin had earned a greater share of the popular vote, Milne had won more districts.
Determining winner
With no candidate receiving a majority, as required by the Vermont Constitution, the Vermont General Assembly
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 ...
decided the election by secret ballot January 8, 2015. Milne had said that if Shumlin won a plurality, he would support him, expecting that Shumlin would do the same if the situation were reversed.
By tradition, the General Assembly almost always selects the candidate who won a plurality in the general election. The most recent selection of a candidate who had not won a plurality was in 1976, when Republican T. Garry Buckley defeated Democrat John Alden for lieutenant governor.[ In the 2015 vote, Shumlin defeated Milne 110 votes to 69.
]
2016 U.S. Senate election
Milne ran in the 2016 U.S. Senate election in Vermont. He was the only declared Republican candidate. Milne faced seven-term Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy
Patrick Joseph Leahy (; born March 31, 1940) is an American politician and attorney who is the senior United States senator from Vermont and serves as the president pro tempore of the United States Senate. A member of the Democratic Party, Le ...
as well as three minor party candidates. He lost the election, receiving 32% of the vote.
2020 Vermont lieutenant governor election
In 2020, Milne defeated several minor candidates to win the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
. The Democratic nomination was won by Molly Gray
Molly Rose Gray (born March 18, 1984) is an American attorney and politician serving as the 83rd and current lieutenant governor of Vermont. A member of the Democratic Party, she was an assistant attorney general for Vermont from 2018 to 2021.
...
. In the general election, Gray defeated Milne and Progressive nominee Cris Ericson.
Republican primary
General election
Personal life
Milne resides in the unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either ha ...
of North Pomfret, Vermont, located within the town of Pomfret, and is a divorced father of two grown children.
In 2006, Milne suffered an ischemic stroke
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
, but reportedly recovered with "very little residual effect."
References
External links
Milne for Vermont
official campaign website
*
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Milne, Scott
1959 births
Politicians from Brooklyn
People from Washington, Vermont
People from Pomfret, Vermont
Living people
Vermont Republicans
Candidates in the 2006 United States elections
Candidates in the 2014 United States elections
Candidates in the 2016 United States Senate elections
Candidates in the 2018 United States Senate elections
Candidates in the 2020 United States elections
People from Barre, Vermont
Businesspeople from Brooklyn
Businesspeople from Vermont
20th-century American businesspeople
21st-century American businesspeople