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Quick Facts
Personal Details

Education

  • BASc, Industrial Education, University of Vermont, 1976-1980

Professional Experience

  • BASc, Industrial Education, University of Vermont, 1976-1980
  • Late Model Driver, Barre's Thunder Road International Speedbowl, 1992-present
  • Co-Owner, Shoney's Restaurant
  • Co-Owner/Vice-President, DuBois Construction Incorporated, 1984-2016

Political Experience

  • BASc, Industrial Education, University of Vermont, 1976-1980
  • Late Model Driver, Barre's Thunder Road International Speedbowl, 1992-present
  • Co-Owner, Shoney's Restaurant
  • Co-Owner/Vice-President, DuBois Construction Incorporated, 1984-2016
  • Governor, State of Vermont, 2017-present
  • Candidate, Governor of Vermont, 2016, 2018, 2020
  • Lieutenant Governor, State of Vermont, 2011-2017
  • Candidate, Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, 2010, 2012, 2014
  • Senator, Vermont State Senate, District Washington, 2001-2011
  • Candidate, Vermont State Senate, District Washington, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008

Former Committees/Caucuses

Former Chair, Institutions Committee, Vermont State Senate

Former Vice Chair, Transportation Committee, Vermont State Senate

Religious, Civic, and other Memberships

  • BASc, Industrial Education, University of Vermont, 1976-1980
  • Late Model Driver, Barre's Thunder Road International Speedbowl, 1992-present
  • Co-Owner, Shoney's Restaurant
  • Co-Owner/Vice-President, DuBois Construction Incorporated, 1984-2016
  • Governor, State of Vermont, 2017-present
  • Candidate, Governor of Vermont, 2016, 2018, 2020
  • Lieutenant Governor, State of Vermont, 2011-2017
  • Candidate, Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, 2010, 2012, 2014
  • Senator, Vermont State Senate, District Washington, 2001-2011
  • Candidate, Vermont State Senate, District Washington, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008
  • Member, Barre Fish and Game
  • Presenter, Central Vermont Girls First/Boys First Mentoring Program
  • Speaker, March for Meals
  • Member, Mutuo
  • Corporator, Northfield Savings Bank
  • Member, Sons of the American Legion
  • Member, Vermont Safe Kids
  • Founder, Wheels for Warmth, 2005
  • President, Associated General Contractors, 1997, 1998

Other Info

  • Howard Scott

Favorite Book:

Marley and Me, The Art of Racing in the Rain

Hobbies or Special Talents:

Stock Car Racing, Cycling, and Hiking

Policy Positions

2020

Abortion

What is your stance on abortion?
- Pro-choice

Gun Control

Should there be more restrictions on the current process of purchasing a gun?
- Yes, but only by closing the gun show loophole

Gay Marriage

Do you support the legalization of same sex marriage?
- Yes

LGBT Adoption Rights

Should gay couples have the same adoption rights as straight couples?
- Yes

Equal Pay

Should employers be required to pay men and women the same salary for the same job?
- Yes

Stay At Home Order

Should the government enforce a "stay-at-home" order to combat the coronavirus?
- Yes

Climate Change

Should the government increase environmental regulations to prevent climate change?
- Yes, and provide more incentives for alternative energy production

Planned Parenthood Funding

Should the government continue to fund Planned Parenthood?
- Yes

Trump Impeachment

Do you support the impeachment of President Donald Trump?
- No

Mandatory Vaccinations

Should the government require children to be vaccinated for preventable diseases?
- Yes, but only for deadly contagious diseases

Marital Rape

Should marital rape be classified and punished as severely as non-marital rape?
- Yes, and consentual sex with a spouse under the age of 18 should be classified as statutory rape

Pre-Existing Conditions

Should health insurers be allowed to deny coverage to individuals who have a pre-existing condition?
- No, it is immoral to deny health insurance to people with pre-existing conditions

Police Body Cameras

Should police officers be required to wear body cameras?
- Yes, but only for patrol officers in high crime areas

Gun Buyback

Should the federal government institute a mandatory buyback of assault weapons?
- No

Religious Freedom Act

Should a business be able to deny service to a customer if the request conflicts with the owner’s religious beliefs?
- No

Drug Price Regulation

Should the government regulate the prices of life-saving drugs?
- Yes, and the government should regulate the price of all prescription drugs

Gender Identity

Should "gender identity" be added to anti-discrimination laws?
- No

Armed Teachers

Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
- No, this would increase the risk of accidental shootings

Government Mandates

Should health insurance providers be required to offer free birth control?
- No

Taxes

Should the U.S. raise taxes on the rich?
- Lower the income tax rate and remove all existing tax loopholes for large corporations

Mental Health

Should the government increase funding for mental health research and treatment?
- Yes, but only increase funding for personalized care instead of subsidizing pharmaceutical companies

Stay-At-Home Order

When should your state end the "Stay at Home" order and reopen its economy?
- May 1st

Border Wall

Should the U.S. build a wall along the southern border?
- No

Immigration Ban

Should there be a temporary ban on all immigration into the United States?
- No, but we should spend more to increase our border security

Student Loans

Do you support increasing taxes for the rich in order to reduce interest rates for student loans?
- No

Minimum Wage

Should the government raise the federal minimum wage?
- Yes, and adjust it every year according to inflation

Muslim Immigrants

Should Muslim immigrants be banned from entering the country until the government improves its ability to screen out potential terrorists?
- Yes

Muslim Surveillance

Should local police increase surveillance and patrol of Muslim neighborhoods?
- No, but police should increase surveillance and patrol of all high crime neighborhoods

Free College for All

Should the federal government pay for tuition at four-year colleges and universities?
- No

Gerrymandering

Should the redrawing of Congressional districts be controlled by an independent, non-partisan commission?
- Yes, switch to a multi-member, proportionally selected redistricting system

Women in Combat

Should the military allow women to serve in combat roles?
- Yes, as long as they can pass the same physical tests as men

Paid Sick Leave

Should businesses be required to provide paid leave for full-time employees during the birth of a child or sick family member?
- Yes, but only for maternity leave

Iran

Should the U.S. go to war with Iran?
- No, the U.S. should encourage Iran to disarm through diplomatic channels

Immigration Healthcare

Should illegal immigrants have access to government-subsidized healthcare?
- No

No-Fly List Gun Control

Should people on the "no-fly list" be banned from purchasing guns and ammunition?
- Yes, if the government considers you too dangerous to board a plane you should not be able to buy a gun

Immigration

Should children of illegal immigrants be granted legal citizenship?
- Yes, if they were born here

Mandatory Military Service

Should every 18 year old citizen be required to provide at least one year of military service?
- No, service should be a choice instead of an obligation

Deporting Criminal Immigrants

Should immigrants be deported if they commit a serious crime?
- Yes

United Nations

Should the U.S. remain in the United Nations?
- Yes

Drug Policy

Are you in favor of decriminalizing drug use?
- Yes, for most but not all drugs

Foreign Lobbying

Should foreign lobbyists be allowed to raise money for American elections?
- No

Medicaid

Should the federal government increase funding of health care for low income individuals (Medicaid)?
- Yes, but I prefer switching to a single payer healthcare system

Obamacare

Do you support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)?
- Yes, but a mandatory single payer system would be even better

Term Limits

Should there be term limits set for members of Congress?
- Yes, term limits for the House but not the Senate

Marijuana

Do you support the legalization of Marijuana?
- Yes

Electoral College

Should the electoral college be abolished?
- No

Corporate Tax

Should the U.S. raise or lower the tax rate for corporations?
- Lower

Illegal Immigrant Detainment

Should local law enforcement be allowed to detain illegal immigrants for minor crimes and transfer them to federal immigration authorities?
- Yes

Death Penalty

Do you support the death penalty?
- Yes

Campaign Finance

1. Should there be a limit to the amount of money a candidate can receive from a donor?
- No

Fracking

Do you support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources?
- Yes

Foreign Elections

Should the government attempt to influence foreign elections?
- No, and we should not try to influence any other country’s elections or policy

NSA Domestic Surveillance

Should the NSA (National Security Agency) be allowed to collect basic metadata of citizen’s phone calls such as numbers, timestamps, and call durations?
- No, and abolish the NSA

Single-Payer Healthcare

Do you support a single-payer healthcare system?
- Yes, but allow people to use private insurance

Immigrant Assimilation

Should immigrants be required to learn English?
- Yes

Israel Boycott

Should it be illegal to join a boycott of Israel?
- No, this is a violation of free speech

Immigrant Laborers

Should working illegal immigrants be given temporary amnesty?
- No

Sanctuary Cities

Should sanctuary cities receive federal funding?
- No

Transgender Athletes

Should transgender athletes be allowed to compete in athletic events?
- No

NATO

1. Should the U.S. remain in NATO?
- Yes, but NATO should focus more on counter-terrorism strategies

Gun Liability

Should victims of gun violence be allowed to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers?
- No

Alternative Energy

Should the government give tax credits and subsidies to the wind power industry?
- Yes, wind power is the best alternative to coal and natural gas

Military Congressional Approval

Should the President be able to authorize military force against Al-Qaeda without Congressional approval?
- No, Congress should approve all military conflicts

Confederate Flag

Should states be allowed to display the Confederate flag on government property?
- Yes

Right of Foreigners to Vote

Should foreigners, currently residing in the United States, have the right to vote?
- No

Soleimani

Do you support the killing of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani?
- Yes

Torture

Should the military be allowed to use enhanced interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding, to gain information from suspected terrorists?
- Yes

In-State Tuition

Should illegal immigrants be offered in-state tuition rates at public colleges within their residing state?
- No

Social Media Regulation

Should the government regulate social media sites, as a means to prevent fake news and misinformation?
- No

Border Security

Should the U.S. increase restrictions on its current border security policy?
- Yes

Voter Fraud

Should a photo ID be required to vote?
- Yes, this will prevent voter fraud

Gender Workplace Diversity

Should businesses be required to have women on their board of directors?
- No

Private Prisons

Should the government hire private companies to run prisons?
- No, private prisons will sacrifice quality of care and rehabilitation services for profit

Corporate Mega Mergers

Should the government prevent "mega mergers" of corporations that could potentially control a large percentage of market share within its industry?
- Yes, if the merged corporation would have more than 50% of the market share

Net Neutrality

Should internet service providers be allowed to speed up access to popular websites (that pay higher rates) at the expense of slowing down access to less popular websites (that pay lower rates)?
- No, this would allow them to remove competition, create artificial scarcity, and increase prices

Plastic Product Ban

Should disposable products (such as plastic cups, plates, and cutlery) that contain less than 50% of biodegradable material be banned?
- No

Welfare Drug Testing

Should welfare recipients be tested for drugs?
- Yes

Oil Drilling

Should the U.S. expand offshore oil drilling?
- No

Israel

Should the U.S. continue to support Israel?
- Yes

Citizenship Test

Should immigrants be required to pass a citizenship test to demonstrate a basic understanding of our country’s language, history, and government?
- Yes

Euthanasia

Should terminally ill patients be allowed to end their lives via assisted suicide?
- Yes, but only if there is no chance they will survive their illness

Candidate Transparency

Should political candidates be required to release their recent tax returns to the public?
- No

Paris Climate Agreement

Should the U.S. withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement?
- No

Government Spending

Should the government make cuts to public spending in order to reduce the national debt?
- Yes

Campaign Finance

1. Should corporations, unions, and non-profit organizations be allowed to donate to political parties?
- Yes

Skilled Immigrants

Should the US increase or decrease the amount of temporary work visas given to high-skilled immigrant workers?
- Decrease

Patriot Act

Do you support the Patriot Act?
- Yes

Medicaid Work Requirement

Should people be required to work in order to receive Medicaid?
- Yes

Universal Basic Income

Do you support a universal basic income program?
- No

Medicare Drug Prices

Should the federal government be allowed to negotiate drug prices for Medicare?
- Yes

Safe Spaces

Should universities provide "trigger warnings" and "safe spaces" for students?
- No

Flag Burning

Should it be illegal to burn the American flag?
- Yes

Lobbyists

Should there be a 5-year ban on White House and Congressional officials from becoming lobbyists after they leave the government?
- Yes, and make it a lifetime ban

North Korea Military Strikes

Should the U.S. conduct military strikes against North Korea in order to destroy their long-range missile and nuclear weapons capabilities?
- No, and I am not convinced that North Korea has or is capable of developing a long-range nuclear missile

Minimum Voting Age

Should the minimum voting age be lowered?
- No

Welfare

Should there be fewer or more restrictions on current welfare benefits?
- More

Labor Unions

Do you believe labor unions help or hurt the economy?
- Hurt

Whistleblower Protection

Should the government pass laws which protect whistleblowers?
- Yes, but only if releasing the information does not threaten our national security

Yemen

Should the U.S. provide military aid to Saudi Arabia during its conflict with Yemen?
- No, Saudi Arabia has more than enough money to fund their own wars

Niqab

Should women be allowed to wear a Niqab, or face veil, to civic ceremonies?
- Yes, but their identity must be privately verified by a female staff member

Military Spending

Should the government increase or decrease military spending?
- Decrease

Supreme Court Reform

Should the Supreme Court be reformed to include more seats and term limits on judges?
- No

Solitary Confinement for Juveniles

Should prisons ban the use of solitary confinement for juveniles?
- No

Free Tax Filing

Should the IRS create a free electronic tax filing system?
- Yes

Syrian Refugees

Should the U.S. accept refugees from Syria?
- Yes, we should accept 10,000 refugees

Affirmative Action

Do you support affirmative action programs?
- No

Common Core

Do you support Common Core national standards?
- No

Foreign Assassination

Should the US assassinate suspected terrorists in foreign countries?
- Yes

First Amendment

Should the government support a separation of church and state by removing references to God on money, federal buildings, and national monuments?
- No

Capital Gains Tax

Should the government increase the tax rate on profits earned from the sale of stocks, bonds, and real estate?
- No

Animal Testing

Should researchers be allowed to use animals in testing the safety of drugs, vaccines, medical devices, and cosmetics?
- Yes

Safe Haven

Should cities open drug "safe havens" where people who are addicted to illegal drugs can use them under the supervision of medical professionals?
- No

Dakota Access Pipeline

Should the government stop construction of the Dakota Access pipeline?
- No

Foreign Aid

Should the US increase or decrease foreign aid spending?
- Decrease

ISIS Ground Troops

Should the U.S. send ground troops into Syria to fight ISIS?
- No, conduct targeted airstrikes instead

Overtime Pay

Should the government require businesses to pay salaried employees, making up to $46k/year, time-and-a-half for overtime hours?
- No

Eminent Domain

Should the government be allowed to seize private property, with reasonable compensation, for public or civic use?
- No

Drones

Should the military fly drones over foreign countries to gain intelligence and kill suspected terrorists?
- Yes

Terrorism

Should foreign terrorism suspects be given constitutional rights?
- No, they should be tried in military tribunals but not subject to torture

Economic Stimulus

Should the government use economic stimulus to aid the country during times of recession?
- Yes, but in the form of tax breaks for all citizens

VA Privatization

Should there be more or less privatization of veterans’ healthcare?
- More

Social Security

Should the government raise the retirement age for Social Security?
- No, eliminate the income cap on taxable earnings and stop spending current funds on other programs instead

GMO Labels

Should producers be required to label genetically engineered foods (GMOs)?
- Yes, but I would prefer to ban GMOs

Universal Pre-K

Should the federal government fund Universal preschool?
- Yes

Criminal Voting Rights

Should convicted criminals have the right to vote?
- Yes, but only after completing their sentences and parole/probation

Afghanistan

Should the United States pull all military troops out of Afghanistan?
- No

Dual Citizenship

Should immigrants to the United States be allowed to hold dual citizenship status?
- Yes, but they should not be able to claim citizenship status of more than two nations

Mandatory minimum prison sentences

Do you support mandatory minimum prison sentences for people charged with drug possession?
- No

NAFTA

Should the U.S. continue to participate in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
- Yes

Estate Tax

Should the current estate tax rate be decreased?
- Yes

Nuclear Energy

Do you support the use of nuclear energy?
- Yes

Drug Trafficking Penalties

Should drug traffickers receive the death penalty?
- No, sentence them to life in prison without parole instead

Space Exploration

Should the government fund space travel?
- Yes

War on ISIS

Should the U.S. formally declare war on ISIS?
- Yes

Cuba

Do you support President Obama’s move to lift the trade and travel embargo on Cuba?
- Yes

Tariffs

Should the government add or increase tariffs on products imported into the country?
- Yes

China Tariffs

Should the U.S. increase tariffs on imported products from China?
- Yes

Ukraine

Should the U.S. provide military assistance to defend Ukraine from Russia?
- Yes, the Russian invasion of the Ukraine threatens the balance of power in the region

Domestic Jobs

Should the President offer tax breaks to individual companies to keep jobs in the U.S.?
- Yes

Tech Monopolies

Should the government break up Amazon, Facebook and Google?
- No

NATO

1. Should the U.S. defend other NATO countries that maintain low military defense budgets relative to their GDP?
- No

Federal Reserve

Should the Federal Reserve Bank be audited by Congress?
- Yes, we deserve to know who the bank gives money to

Farm Subsidies

Should the government subsidize farmers?
- Yes

Political Advertising on Social Media

Should social media companies ban political advertising?
- No

Property Taxes

Would you favor an increased sales tax in order to reduce property taxes?
- No, but decrease tax rates for senior citizens

NSA Surveillance

Should the U.S. continue NSA surveillance of its allies?
- Yes

Pension Reform

Should pension plans for federal, state, and local government workers be transitioned into privately managed accounts?
- Yes

Offshore Banking

Should U.S. citizens be allowed to save or invest their money in offshore bank accounts?
- Yes

Edward Snowden

Should the U.S. government grant immunity to Edward Snowden?
- No

Charter Schools

Do you support charter schools?
- Yes

Russian Airstrikes in Syria

Should the U.S. prevent Russia from conducting airstrikes in Syria?
- No

Prison Overcrowding

Should non-violent prisoners be released from jail in order to reduce overcrowding?
- Yes, but place them under house arrest using an electronic bracelet

Trans-Pacific Partnership

Do you support the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)?
- No

Government Pensions

Should pension payments be increased for retired government workers?
- No

Public Transportation

Should the government increase spending on public transportation?
- Yes

Jerusalem

Should Jerusalem be recognized as the capital of Israel?
- Yes

Online Sales Tax

Should an in-state sales tax apply to online purchases of in-state buyers from out-of-state sellers?
- No

School Truancy

Should the government decriminalize school truancy?
- No

Hong Kong Fugitive Extradition

Should the Chinese government be able to extradite fugitives from Hong Kong?
- No

Corporate Subsidies

Should cities be allowed to offer private companies economic incentives to relocate?
- Yes

F-35

Should the government cancel production of the F-35 fighter?
- No

Bitcoin

Should the government classify Bitcoin as a legal currency?
- No

State Ownership

Should the government acquire equity stakes in companies it bails out during a recession?
- No

Air Force One

Should the military upgrade Air Force One?
- Yes

Sports Betting

Should sports betting be legal?
- Yes

Single-payer health care

In January 2014, Scott expressed skepticism about Vermont’s single-payer healthcare law. The law, called Green Mountain Care, passed in 2011 and aimed to provide health insurance to the state’s 626,000 residents through a state-run system in order to reduce premiums and costs. Scott was concerned about whether the model would work. “I’m a skeptic when it comes to the single-payer model,” Scott said in an interview. “But at the same time I try to be objective because I’ve argued that I don’t have enough information to know whether it works here in Vermont. So it’s difficult for me to oppose something when I don’t know what it is,” he said.

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