On a chilly September evening on the outskirts of downtown Johnson, Brenda Siegel prepared to address a small crowd that had gathered outside a substance use recovery center, called Jenna鈥檚 Promise.
It was an official campaign event for Vermont鈥檚 Democratic nominee for governor. But on this day, Siegel veered from the stump speech she usually delivers at appearances like this.
鈥淣ormally I start a little bit differently, but because I鈥檓 here at Jenna鈥檚 Promise, I鈥檓 going to start and tell you a little bit about myself,鈥� Siegel began. 鈥淚n March of 2018, my nephew, his name was Kaya Siegel, died of an overdose.鈥�
Since her nephew鈥檚 death, Siegel has worked doggedly to transform the way Vermont deals with the opioid epidemic.
Siegel says Vermont needs universal access to treatment on demand and facilities that can treat substance use disorder alongside co-occurring mental health issues.
She鈥檚 been especially vocal about the need for better harm reduction programs, including places where people can inject drugs under medical supervision without fear of arrest.
鈥淚 think 鈥� she put a lot of pressure within the Statehouse.鈥�Chittenden County Sen. Ginny Lyons
鈥淚 am an outspoken advocate, which at times, can be a lonely place to be,鈥� Siegel told a group of people sitting outside in folding chairs. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 a sword that I will fall on over and over and over again until it changes.鈥�
For Siegel, who鈥檚 45, the personal is often political.
鈥淚鈥檓 of a generation where lots of people saw the promise of opportunity just slip away, and they don鈥檛 want that to happen anymore,鈥� she said in an interview with 开云体育. 鈥淭hey want their children to have more opportunity, and be able to thrive here.鈥�
Siegel says she saw her own opportunity begin to slip away when she became a mom at 24, while in a relationship with an abusive partner.
鈥淚 am suddenly kind of thrust into poverty and struggling to figure out what is next,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 very much alone with the baby. It鈥檚 just me and the baby.鈥�
Right before her son was born, Siegel had been interning in Sen. Bernie Sanders鈥� office in Washington, D.C., often taking notes on meetings about Medicaid and other social welfare programs.
Then she became a single mom with no job and no income.
鈥淎nd found myself in a situation where I needed some of those supports, and suddenly I became the person that I had always watched Bernie Sanders fight for,鈥� she said.
Siegel鈥檚 financial situation hasn鈥檛 improved much since then. Last year, she made $17,000. The year before she ran for lieutenant governor, in 2020, she made $8,000. Those figures comes from personal financial disclosures she filed with the secretary of state.
Siegel counts her financial hardships among her political assets now, because only somebody who鈥檚 had to rely on public benefits, she said, can see how damaged the human services system has become.
鈥淏ecause it鈥檚 really hard to imagine what it鈥檚 like to, for example, interact with economic services if you鈥檝e never had to interact with economic services,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hings might seem reasonable that you later find out really are not.鈥�
After a run for governor in 2018 in which she failed to make it out of the Democratic primary, Siegel set out to become a change agent in the Vermont Statehouse.
Some high-profile Vermont lawmakers say Siegel鈥檚 advocacy has delivered results.
鈥淚 think she was very effective in that,鈥� said Chittenden County Sen. Ginny Lyons. 鈥淚 think 鈥� she put a lot of pressure within the Statehouse.鈥�
Lyons said Siegel gets special credit for the Legislature鈥檚 decision to decriminalize an opioid-treatment drug called buprenorphine.
Siegel has pressed the Legislature for change in other arenas too, including housing and criminal justice reform.
"One thing that I have noticed about Brenda is that she鈥檚 not a one-sort-of-topic advocate ... she cares greatly about a lot of things.鈥�Burlington Rep. Barbara Rachelson
Her style can sometimes rankle even Democratic lawmakers. She鈥檚 been known to confront legislators after committee meetings to openly challenge their positions 鈥� a perceived breach of etiquette to some members of the General Assembly. And she鈥檚 held press conferences late in the session to denounce the lack of progress in Montpelier on issues like minimum wage or paid family and medical leave.
鈥淵ou have to negotiate and collaborate when you鈥檙e in the political environment, so her bringing up issues that we were already working on and telling us we weren鈥檛 doing enough, that was a little bit of a concern, absolutely,鈥� Lyons said.
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Lyons said she was also initially concerned about Siegel鈥檚 lack of political experience, though she said she鈥檚 been 鈥渟omewhat reassured鈥� after talking to Siegel about her background.
Lyons said she鈥檒l be voting for Siegel, because she鈥檚 the Democratic nominee. But she said the state will experience some growing pains if Siegel wins.
鈥淚f we have a new governor and a significant number of new legislators, it鈥檚 going to take at least a year for people to get their feet on the ground, possibly two years,鈥� Lyons said.
For Burlington Rep. Barbara Rachelson, whatever learning curve Siegel requires will be a worthwhile tradeoff for a new governor.
鈥淚 would be excited to have a shakeup,鈥� Rachelson said.
Last fall, Siegel slept on the Statehouse steps for 28 days, often in freezing conditions, to protest Gov. Phil Scott鈥檚 emergency housing policy.
Rachelson was impressed.
鈥淚 thought, 鈥極h my gosh 鈥� like, good for her,鈥欌�� she said.
Rachelson said she thinks Siegel鈥檚 actions figured in Scott鈥檚 decision to expand emergency motel housing last winter 鈥� something the Scott campaign dismisses.
鈥淵ou know, it drew enough attention 鈥� I鈥檓 hoping that was one of the ways that things sort of got unstuck a little bit,鈥� Rachelson said.
Rachelson鈥檚 convinced Siegel would surround herself with a savvy and diverse leadership team if she does win. And if Siegel can move the dial as a freelance advocate with no organizational backing, Rachelson said, then imagine what she could do as governor.
鈥淢ore and more 鈥� it feels like state government is not performing well. Housing鈥檚 a mess,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 keep hearing more concerns about how Department of Mental Health, DCF are functioning.鈥�
While Siegel initially built a name for herself advocating on opioid and housing issues, she said her policy expertise extents to other arenas as well. She鈥檚 a member of the Public Transit Advisory Council, a position she was entrusted to fill by the Community of Vermont Elders, which gets to appoint a member to that panel.
鈥淥ne thing that I have noticed about Brenda is that she鈥檚 not a one-sort-of-topic advocate, like she cares greatly about a lot of things,鈥� Rachelson said.
Siegel said she knows she doesn鈥檛 fit the mold voters might have come to expect from prospective governors.
鈥淚 am not a typical candidate for governor,鈥� she said.
The Newfane resident has never held political office before. She鈥檚 never worked in state government. And she hasn鈥檛 been a mover and shaker in the private sector either.
But Siegel鈥檚 relentless advocacy 鈥� and her high-octane criticism of Republican Gov. Phil Scott 鈥� have won her admiration and acclaim.
And as economic conditions make it harder and harder for low- and middle-income Vermonters to thrive, Siegel thinks the state is ready for a new kind of leader.
鈥淔requently, Phil Scott does something like what鈥檚 happening with [the emergency rental assistance program], where it鈥檚 clear that the administration makes a huge mistake and doesn鈥檛 really get held accountable the way that they should, considering it鈥檚 Vermonters that have to pay the price for those mistakes,鈥� Siegel said.
With gubernatorial vetoes piling up on bills related to climate change and criminal justice reform, Siegel said, Scott has revealed himself as a barrier to progress.
鈥淗e has been quite effective at blaming our legislators when it isn鈥檛 really their fault for things that we aren鈥檛 moving forward on,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat is something that has been a huge problem for progress in our state, on climate, on the overdose crisis, on housing, is not having a real partner [in the governor鈥檚 office].鈥�
鈥淚 am an outspoken advocate, which at times, can be a lonely place to be. And it鈥檚 a sword that I will fall on over and over and over again until it changes.鈥�Brenda Siegel, Democratic nominee for governor
In order to prevail in November, Siegel will first have to energize a Democratic base didn鈥檛 warm to her in her previous statewide runs.
In her run for lieutenant governor in 2020, for example, Siegel finished third in a four-way Democratic primary with less than 10% of the vote.
She also faces the power of Phil Scott's incumbency.
When the state's largest child care advocacy organization launched a political action arm earlier this summer, Siegel seemed like a natural pick for an endorsement.
Siegel says she's willing to support a tax increase to pay for increased child care subsidies. Scott has dismissed the idea out of hand.
Yet Let's Grow Kids Action Network had told voters that Scott's the best candidate on child care. Network President Aly Richards recently explained why.
鈥淲e鈥檝e worked really successfully with Gov. Scott and his administration throughout his tenure as governor,鈥� Richards said. 鈥淲e have a longstanding relationship with him and his team.鈥�
Siegel, however, has picked up important endorsements from organizations including the Vermont-NEA, Vermont State Employees Association, and Vermont Conservation Voters.
And a conducted by the University of New Hampshire suggested that she's gained considerable ground on Scott in recent months.
Siegel says public service is in her constitution.
鈥淚f you see something that needs to change in the world, then we should all be part of making that change,鈥� she said.
And Siegel said she can make the most change from inside the governor鈥檚 office.
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