State Senate candidate asks: What is a Republican?

August 26, 2024  |  By Donald Koch 

The title I have given to this position paper is very misleading. It suggests that Republicans are all alike—all of one stripe, all of one mind—and nothing could be further from the truth! 

I am writing this paper because in the course of my short campaign for the state Senate to date, I have been the victim of the train of thought that all Republicans are alike. Some of my supporters have removed my campaign signs from their lawns, because their friends criticized them for supporting “one of those evil Republicans,” as one person put it. 

Some say that Republicans are anti-environment, but I describe myself as an old-fashioned conservationist. I believe that global warming is real, but I would deal with it differently from the way the Democrats in Montpelier have dealt with it, which I will discuss in a future position paper. 

Some say that Republicans are anti-worker and anti-union, but I support the right of workers to bargain collectively, and I believe the government should maintain neutrality in such negotiations unless of course, the government is itself a party to the negotiations. 

Some say that Republicans are anti-education, but I recognize the priority of our public education system, though I do think some reforms are in order. For one thing, I think teachers should be allowed to teach rather than serve as social service delivery agents; and I think the legislature has issued too many mandates – many unfunded – that require our schools to act in one way or another. I also believe that some degree of parental choice should be allowed so that parents can send their child to the school they believe will best serve the needs of the child.

And the list goes on. But let me deal with the elephant in the room: Donald Trump.

Many people believe that if you are a Republican, you are a supporter of Donald Trump. Indeed, some people who were formerly active in the Republican Party are now sitting on the sidelines, wanting nothing to do with what they see as “Trump’s Party.” But let me say, loud and clear, that the national Republican Party and the Vermont Republican Party ARE NOT ONE AND THE SAME! And speaking for myself, I am not a supporter of Donald Trump.

I did vote for Trump in 2016—I certainly couldn’t vote for Hillary Clinton. I think that Trump did a number of good things during his presidency, and with some serious reservations, I also voted for him in 2020. I ignored the many stupid and insulting things he said because I placed more importance on what he was going to accomplish. I have come to view this as a mistake. There came a point for me where his behavior could no longer be ignored. That was January 6, 2021. I believe that when he lost that election—and make no mistake, he lost it—he became even more unhinged. I cannot vote for him this time. Nor, to be clear, can I vote for Kamala Harris, because I think she would destroy our economy. Nor will I write in a name, because that just makes work more difficult for election workers. I have decided that I will not vote in the presidential election this year, and will instead only vote down ballot. 

All of this will undoubtedly meet with the displeasure of Trump loyalists, and I may lose their votes. So be it. On the other hand, I hope that the great majority of people in the Washington Senatorial District who consider themselves moderate and conservative in a traditional sense will give me a chance to go to Montpelier and fight for moderation and common sense and to oppose the extremism of the left-leaning and progressive Democrats who have held a veto-proof majority these last two years. 

So let me be clear. I am not a Trump Republican. I am a Ronald Reagan Republican in national matters and a Dick Snelling/Jim Douglas/Phil Scott Republican in Vermont matters. Indeed, one of the principal reasons I am running is to support Gov. Scott as he tries to lead this state down sensible and productive paths while keeping a radical supermajority from adopting rash measures that will end up taxing many of our people either into the poor house or out of Vermont.

I respectfully ask for your vote for Washington District Senator. Give moderation a chance!

Donald Koch

Barre resident Donald Koch is a Republican candidate for the Washington state Senate district.