Jan Backus
Jan Backus served as a Vermont State Senator representing Windham County from 1989 to 1994 and Chittenden County from 1997 to 2000. A community activist, Backus served as a member of the Vermont Southeast Supervisory Union board for many years before making a run for the Vermont state Senate and winning a seat. She served as chairwoman of the Senate Health & Welfare Committee and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
A moderate-to-liberal Democrat, Backus ran for the U.S. Senate in 1994 and beat Douglas M. Costle, Environmental Protection Agency administrator under President Jimmy Carter, for her party's nomination and came within 9 points of ousting incumbent U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords (R-VT).[1] In 2000, she ran again and lost the Democratic U.S. Senate primary to Ed Flanagan, then Vermont's Auditor of Accounts.[2]
Backus lives in Winooski, VT with her husband Steve Blodgett (a former State Senator). She currently serves as a member of Winooski's Downtown Revitilization Project to eliminate sprawl and attract jobs. She has three daughters, one of whom served as a high-ranking member of John Kerry's presidential campaign in 2004.
Backus competes annually in the National Crossword Championship. Her highest finish was 46th.
[edit] References
- ^ "THE 1994 ELECTIONS: THE SENATE; Who Won Where". The New York Times. 1994-11-09. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40E16F83A5A0C7A8CDDA80994DC494D81.
- ^ "Law Permitting Civil Unions for Gays Proves a Factor in Primaries". The New York Times. 2000-09-14. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30E17F8395C0C778DDDA00894D8404482.
.png){kind=small} |
This article about a Vermont politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
