Today I submitted the following letter to the editor of the News & Citizen:

Cambridge and Waterville are fortunate to have two fine young people running for the open position in the Vermont House created by Bernie Juskiewicz’s decision not to run for re-election. I have visited with both Lucy Rogers and Zac Mayo and I am impressed with their character, intelligence, energy, and humility.

In visiting recently with Zac, I was pleased to find that he is intellectually curious, a seeker of multiple viewpoints, a good listener, and an independent thinker. He talked about his quest to understand our country subsequent to the 2016 presidential election, and his desire to improve the state of our political discourse. His views about the appropriate role of government in our society comport well with my own views. (I want good government, but not necessarily more government.) Zac’s years of service in the Navy taught him about people and organizations, which will serve him well in Montpelier. For all of these reasons, I am supporting Zac Mayo for the Vermont House.

The contest between Zac and Lucy has been positive, which has renewed my faith in our ability to govern ourselves. Other political campaigns, mostly by candidates of my generation, have sometimes led me to question that faith. But if Zac and Lucy are representative of their generation, our country will be in good hands. Thank you, both Zac and Lucy, for your interest and participation in our grand American experiment in self-government.