CAMPAIGN NEWS

MANCHESTER, Vt. — July 10, 2026 — VoteVets PAC has endorsed Army veteran Thomas West for Vermont State Representative, recognizing his lifelong commitment to public service and leadership on behalf of Vermont families. VoteVets is a national organization that works to elect veterans and national security professionals who will stand up for service members, veterans, military families, and the communities they call home.

Thomas West, an elected member of the Southwest Vermont Regional Technical School District Board, Vice Chair of the Manchester Planning Commission, Justice of the Peace, Army veteran, and father of four, announced today that he is running for the Vermont State House representing the Bennington-4 district.

Rural schools operate under different realities than schools in larger cities or suburban areas. In small towns, geography and population size shape what is possible in ways that policy discussions in Montpelier sometimes overlook.

I graduated from high school in 2000. Like many young people, I thought about serving my country, but “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell," the policy that banned openly queer people from serving, closed that door. Because of who I was, military service remained off-limits.

Every conversation about affordable housing in Manchester comes down to one question: Who is this community for?

I know the stigma firsthand. I remember having to enter a PIN on the days I was hungry enough to ask for food in high school. That is one of the few numbers I still have memorized, 050565. I remember the sideways glances and the quiet embarrassment of standing in line, knowing that not everyone had to do the same.