FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from the Vermont Democratic Party
MONTPELIER, VT — Today, Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos announced that he will not seek re-election. Secretary Condos has been a leader in Vermont politics since 1989, when he was first elected to the South Burlington City Council.
In addition to his leadership in Vermont and within the Vermont Democratic Party, Secretary Condos has also gained recognition on the national level, most recently serving as the President of the National Association of Secretaries of State and working to make Vermont one of the most voter-friendly states in the country through the promotion and passage of key legislation that expands voters access.
As Secretary of State, Condos has been a nationally recognized champion of protecting voting rights and increasing voter participation. When COVID-19 reached Vermont in 2020, Secretary Condos made the groundbreaking decision to mail every voter a ballot for the August primary and November general election. Following the success of this massive statewide effort, Condos worked closely with the legislature to craft and pass a bill making universal ballot mailing permanent. Secretary Condos has been an outspoken critic of efforts to restrict voting in other states and has received national attention for his calls to secure voting rights and ensure that all voters have ready access to the ballot box. He has worked tirelessly for more transparency in government, increased consumer protections, and easier access to public information.
During his press conference today, Secretary Condos said: “During these many years as a public official, I have worked hard to serve Vermont’s citizens in a professional and dutiful manner, always striving to make our government more efficient, accessible, and transparent for all Vermonters…For me, the end result of the work of government should always be to improve the health, safety, and lives of all residents. After each election, I took an oath to uphold the Constitutions of our nation and our State, and I have worked every day to abide by those governing principles.”
In response to the news, VDP Chair Anne Lezak said in a statement: “Vermonters have been incredibly fortunate to have Jim Condos as our Secretary of State for over a decade. He has been a highly capable, effective, and skilled leader. The tremendous effort he put into making sure Vermonters could safely and easily vote in the midst of a pandemic and then to enshrine vote-by-mail in legislation stands in stark contrast to efforts by other secretaries of state to disenfranchise and discourage voters. Secretary of State Condos will long be remembered in Vermont and well beyond for being a strong voice on the side of protecting the rights of all citizens to make their voices heard and striving for an open, transparent government that works for everyone.”
Condos, a lifelong Vermonter, has been Vermont’s Secretary of State since 2011. He served for 18 years (1989 to 2007) on the South Burlington City Council, the last eight years of which he served as chair. From 1999-2004, he served as leadership of various local government entities including the Board for the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Chittenden County Transportation Authority, and the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission. In 2001, Secretary Condos was elected as a Senator for Chittenden County. He served four terms and chaired three integral committees: Education (2003–2004); Government Operations (2005–2006); and Joint Legislative IT (2008).
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CONTACT:
Claire Cummings
Executive Director
Vermont Democratic Party
ccummings@vtdemocrats.org
802-468-7596