Brenda Siegel, a Democrat, won the Democratic primary for Vermont’s governor elections, which will be held this year in November. She will face incumbent and Republican governor Phil Scott, who is now seeking his fourth term in office.

Brenda Siegel was unchallenged in the Democratic primary on Tuesday. The lone candidate has presented herself as an activist and has previously protested against issues like homelessness, climate change and drug abuse.

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Who is Brenda Siegel?

Brenda Siegel was born and raised in the town of Brattleboro in Vermont and attended the local Union High School. After completing her college, Siegel went on to work as a political intern, teacher and choreographer.

She started her own business in 2002 in Vermont, months after she became a single mother. She is the mother of Ajna Siegel, a 20-year-old who attends the University of Vermont.

Siegel was first introduced to the American political system in 2001, when she worked with US Senator Bernie Sanders in Washington DC. She eventually was made a member of the State of Vermont’s Public Transit Advisory Commission as well as DCF’s General Assistance Program Working Group.

Brenda Siegel currently serves as the Chair of the Newfane Democratic Committee and a delegate to the Windham County Committee, according to her governor campaign website.

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She has also advocated for multiple social and economic issues faced by the people of Vermont. These include the housing crisis, the drug epidemic and economic differences. Last fall she spent 27 nights sleeping on the steps of the Vermont Statehouse to highlight the state’s homelessness challenge.

In a long list of campaign promises, Brenda Siegel vowed to work for “historically marginalised voices of black and brown Vermonters, transgender folks, LGBTQIA+, indigenous people and people with disabilities.”