Become part of the movement for unbiased, accessible election information. Donate today.
Wayne Vernon Estey
Wayne Vernon Estey (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Vermont State Senate to represent Windham District. He lost in the Democratic primary on August 14, 2018.
Vernon Estey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2018. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2018
- See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Vermont State Senate Windham District (2 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Vermont State Senate Windham District on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Becca Balint (D) | 39.4 | 11,464 |
| ✔ |  | Jeanette White (D) | 36.6 | 10,644 |
 | Tyler Colford (R) | 13.3 | 3,861 | |
| Beverly Stone (Independent) | 5.8 | 1,675 | ||
| Aaron Diamondstone (Liberty Union Party) | 2.6 | 763 | ||
| Jerry Levy (Liberty Union Party) | 2.3 | 659 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 35 | ||
| Total votes: 29,101 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Vermont State Senate Windham District (2 seats)
Incumbent Jeanette White and incumbent Becca Balint defeated Wayne Vernon Estey in the Democratic primary for Vermont State Senate Windham District on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jeanette White | 44.8 | 4,308 |
| ✔ | | Becca Balint | 44.0 | 4,227 |
| Wayne Vernon Estey | 11.2 | 1,076 | ||
| Total votes: 9,611 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Wayne Vernon Estey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Vernon Estey's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
1. Expand affordable high-quality childcare. 2. Expand cellular service and high-speed broadband service. 3. Relocate Executive Branch State workers out of Montpelier and Burlington to Windham County.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
Economic development by making Vermont more attractive to the 25-35 year old home formation age group. See my, childcare and high-speed broadband goals
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
The average person who works hard and barely makes ends meet.
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
Utopia and Terrorism in the 20th Century by Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius. This book tracks the development of nationalism, dictatorships, totalitarianism and worse through modern history identifying the tools and steps these regimes take to achieve their false "utopia" goals.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
Honestly expressing my beliefs and positions up front. Then, listen and learn. Have the capacity and ability to get smarter and change my position.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
I am what I am. What you see is what you get. There is no politician Wayne and some other Wayne.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
Represent my voters; their wants and needs first. If there is a greater good great. I'm not looking for a new career or willing to go-along-to-get-along.
What legacy would you like to leave?
To actually accomplish what I promise my voters I would do.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
My non-political, 8th grade educated father's outrage that people objected to fluoridating the public water supply. He grew up in Northern Maine and lost all his teeth by age 17. I was probably 7 or 8 at he time.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
Not counting the morning and evening newspaper routes at age 10 (I wanted to buy an $8 pair of black Converse to which my mother rejected because, "just fine" Keds cost $4. I started a dishwasher job on my actual 16th birthday. I made $1.60/hr. Afte six months, I asked for a $0.10/hr raise ($2/week). When the boss said no. I quit.
What happened on your most awkward date?
After eating in the best restaurant in town before the sophomore prom and being the galant, I retrieved the car, got out to open the young ladies' door and locked my keys inside the running vehicle. I had to call my father, blocked traffic in the turn-around for about an hour and barely made it to dance the last dance.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
Sorry. As an adult child of an alcoholic, every holiday was randomly wonderful or terrifying. it all depended.
What is your favorite book? Why?
Long story. As a newspaper carrier, a box apparently abandoned at an apartment doorstep. I took it home. It was called, "Quantitative International Economics". At home, I started to read the first page and that was it. The book was full of glyphs and symbols I have never seen let alone understood. I realized you can't steal knowledge.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
If you lived my life, almost any fictional character's life would be boring.
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
All the stupid knick knacks my kids abandoned over the years. Pink Power Ranger, shark tooth necklace, cracked mini-etch-a-sketch, birthday bowling pin with all the kids names written on it. That kind of crap.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
Crosby, Stills and Nash, "Four Dead in Ohio". Sadly.
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
Recognizing that I am where I am and what I've accomplished considering where I started. It's officailly called cognitive dissonance.
Every state besides Nebraska has two legislative chambers. What do you consider the most important differences between the legislative chambers in your state?
I am a firm believer in value of separation of powers. The more diverse and larger House of Representatives can be messier bu often makes better decisions. The Senate with fewer more homogeneous members can be more contemplative but less radical.
Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?
I have to admit (against my best interest) knowing where the bathroom is on the first day can be valuable.
What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?
Declining and aging population coupled with the concentration of power and resources in the capital and largest city.
What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?
Again, separation of power is the most important check and balance. Too close and you get hive thinking. Too far apart and you get stalemate. Some vetos and and some veto overrides should be the norm.
Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.
Absolutely. But, what's often called "eating a rat" meaning voting for something you don't really like, while in return you get a promise for a similar "favor" in the future. Trust in these promises are essential. Some "rats" just can't be swallowed.
What process do you favor for redistricting?
Gerrymandering voting districts is probably the most harmful political trend in America today. No redistricting can be perfect, but one primarily based on US Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (commuting patterns and recognized economic integration geographic areas)
If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?
Economic Development and the Public Utility Energy Committees. I have over 30 years experience and dozens of course work hours in these disciplines. These Executive Agencies responsible for these areas need informed and educated legislative oversite.
If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the legislature, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?
YES. A very powerful force making legislative assignments and shepherding important or obstructing important legislation.
Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?
Thomas "Tip" O'neill. A politics is local.
Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?
No. I've had a career and plan on representing Windham County, period!
Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?
I live in downtown Brattleboro. There are several despised homeless, mentally ill, drug and alcohol dependent and panhandling people on the streets. Talking to them and about themselves and about each other, a picture, often euphemistically referred to as "childhood trauma" becomes real. LGBTX kicked out of their homes at 12, escapees from fanatical religious environments, child of suicide parent blamed for the suicide, munchausen victims, workplace injured now heroin addicts, unmedicated schizophrenics all confirming that their world defies rational or predictable rules or labels. "Why don't they just take any of the help available". Many are so damaged that they don't believe "help" will be any different than the "help" that started them on their road to hell. Or that they are so far gone that they don't believe they deserve help.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
External links
Footnotes
