About Governor Jim Douglas

Governor James H. Douglas has been serving the people of Vermont for more than 30 years. He was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives after graduating from Middlebury College in 1972. He became Assistant Majority Leader in his second term and Majority Leader in his third term at the age of 25. Governor Douglas retired from the Legislature in 1979 to become a top aide to Governor Richard Snelling.

In 1980, Governor Douglas was elected Secretary of State, a post he would hold until 1993. His service to the people of Vermont continued with his election as State Treasurer in 1994. As State Treasurer, Governor Douglas implemented programs that returned millions of dollars in assets to their rightful owners. Due to his leadership as Treasurer, Vermont's bond rating came to be the best in New England and one of the best in the nation. In 2002, Governor Douglas successfully ran for Governor. He was re-elected in 2004, 2006 and 2008.

As Governor, he has focused on strengthening Vermont's economy, reducing the cost of living in Vermont and protecting the state's natural environment. Reducing the high cost of health care, housing, higher education and the tax burden have been central to his efforts in making Vermont a more affordable place to live, work and raise a family. Governor Douglas has been chosen for leadership positions by his peers, having served as the president of the Council of State Governments, chairman (twice) of the New England Governors' Conference, chairman of the Coalition of Northeastern Governors, and the new chairman of the National Governors Association - after serving as vice-chair for the past year.

Outside of government, Governor Douglas has been active in many community organizations. He is a past president of the Addison County Chamber of Commerce and Porter Medical Center. He served as treasurer of the State 4-H Foundation and president of the Vermont Conference of the United Church of Christ. He has served on the boards of the Mary Johnson Day Care Center, the Counseling Service of Addison County, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and the United Ways of both Addison County and Vermont. And he continues to serve as Town Moderator for Middlebury, a post he has held for more than twenty years.

Over the course of his career, Governor Douglas has received more votes than any other person in Vermont history, a testament to his appeal to voters of all political persuasions.

The First Lady of Vermont is Dorothy Douglas. The Governor and Mrs. Douglas have two grown sons, Matthew and Andrew, and one grandson, Timothy James.