Meet Elaine
Rooted in community, service & practical experience.
Municipal leader, nonprofit director, government employee, small business owner, coach and mentor, mom.
Public service and a commitment to Vermonters, especially Vermont women, have been the cornerstones of my professional life.
Solving problems. Getting results.
I am so thankful for my 12 years as an elected official in Essex Junction and the Town of Essex. I’ve been able to help residents solve their problems: everything from connecting a home to a sewer line, to making sure streets are plowed, to putting up new road signs for safety. I’ve helped guide complex governance reforms, like the complicated, multi-year process that led to the creation of Vermont’s newest city. I’ve worked through tough conversations with elected leaders and community members about budgets, infrastructure, development, and public safety, always with an eye toward fairness, transparency, and long-term solutions.
A deep knowledge of our district
My work on the board of the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission enabled me to work with leaders from neighboring communities on regional projects and issues like transportation, development, and infrastructure. Knowing the challenges that Burlington, Winooski, Colchester, and other towns faced and building relationships with leaders from those communities gave me a strong understanding of the needs of our entire region.
Supporting women
& girls
Throughout my career I have focused on uplifting women. As executive director of Emerge Vermont, I didn’t just recruit and train Democratic women to run for office. I helped them develop the confidence and skills they needed to serve in public office, mentoring and coaching scores of women, many of whom serve in public office today.
My mission to support women also extended to years of involvement with Green Mountain Roller Derby, Vermont’s first women’s roller derby league, where I was a referee and team member, and a founder of the league’s junior girls roller derby team, the Minor Catastrophes. Helping girls and women conquer their greatest fears and seeing them triumph with strength, confidence, and leadership is one of my proudest achievements.
Championing Small Businesses
As the former owner of a small independent bookstore, I know the exhilaration, stresses, and triumphs of owning your own business. I know what it means to employ people, to struggle when the economy turns, and to rebuild after setbacks.
I gained so many insights in the years I spent at the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, working on economic development projects and tourism related programs. During the pandemic, my team proudly provided rapid response support to small businesses and helped stand up the grant program that disbursed millions of federal dollars to struggling Vermont businesses.
Civically engaged
I am proud to be a Vermont Democrat. In 2024, I was elected to the Democratic National Committee, where I participate in the Women’s Caucus, Rural Council, and Poverty Council, representing Vermont at the national level.
Essex Junction is my home, where I raised my three (now grown) children, and still live with my husband Jeb, and our dog Martha.
Vermonters need change, and leaders who can make it happen.
This moment calls for leaders who will do the hard work, and I’m ready to take on the fight. I hope you'll join me in the work of building a successful future for Vermont.
