Debbie Ingram

Debbie Ingram (born 1962) is an American politician, who served in the Vermont Senate from 2017 to 2021.[1] She lost her 2020 bid for Lieutenant Governor of Vermont.[2][3]

Debbie Ingram
Member of the Vermont Senate
from the Chittenden district
In office
January 6, 2017 – January 6, 2021
Preceded byHelen Riehle
David Zuckerman
Succeeded byThomas Chittenden
Kesha Ram Hinsdale
Personal details
Born1962
Savannah, Georgia
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic Party
Residence(s)Williston, Vermont

Background

Ingram was educated at Stanford University, with a degree in communication, and Fuller Theological Seminary, with a Master of Divinity.[1] She also completed a fellowship at Cambridge University in England.[4] She is an ordained United Church of Christ minister,[1] and serves as executive director of Vermont Interfaith Action.[5][4][6] Ingram is a graduate of Emerge Vermont and the Vermont Leadership Institute.[7]

She is out as lesbian.[8]

2020 campaign for lieutenant governor

Ingram's 2020 campaign website for Lieutenant Governor articulated the following goals: bringing people together, rebuilding the economy, advancing social justice, making housing affordable, lowering the cost of health care, and combating climate change.[9]

In 2018, Ingram was endorsed by the Vermont State Employees Association, Vermont Conservation Voters, Vermont Sierra Club, Vermont chapter of the National Education Association, Vermont chapter of Planned Parenthood, and Vermont chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.

In 2020, the LGBTQ Victory Fund listed Ingram as a "game changer" because, if she had won her campaign for Lieutenant Governor, she would have been the first openly LGBTQ statewide elected official in Vermont.[10] Ingram was also endorsed by the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance.[11]

Political career

A member of the Williston Selectboard, Ingram first ran for election to the state senate in 2012.[5] She was not elected that year, but won election when she ran again in 2016.[12]

Ingram serves as Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Education, and as Clerk of the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare.[4] She also serves on the Vermont Child Poverty Council.[4]

In the Senate, Ingram's legislative priorities have included a comprehensive substance misuse program, expansion of child care, and increasing funding for mental health services.[13] She has also championed greater inclusion of ethnic and social minorities in school curricula and Vermont's celebration of Indigenous Peoples' Day.[13] Ingram has also introduced legislation to mandate more training on the appropriate use of force by law enforcement.[14]

In 2017, she was charged with driving under the influence after crashing her car.[15] She pled guilty, acknowledging that she has the disease of alcoholism.[16] She has been back in recovery ever since.

She was reelected to another senate term in 2018.[17]

Ingram also served for six years on the Williston Planning Commission and six years on the Williston Selectboard.[3]

References
  1. "Senator Debbie Ingram". Vermont General Assembly.
  2. "Sen. Debbie Ingram announces run for Lt. Governor". NBC5. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  3. Norton, Kit (15 January 2020). "Sen. Debbie Ingram enters race for lieutenant governor". VTDigger.
  4. "Senator Debbie Ingram". legislature.vermont.gov. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  5. "Debbie Ingram Makes Another Bid for State Senate from Chittenden County". VTDigger, March 3, 2016.
  6. "Staff". Vermont Interfaith Action. Archived from the original on 2020-02-21. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  7. "About". Ingram for VT Senate. Archived from the original on 2020-02-21. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  8. "Victory Fund endorses 36 LGBT candidates for office". Out in Jersey, September 9, 2018.
  9. "Debbie Ingram for Vermont Lieutenant Governor". Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  10. "Ingram, Debbie". LGBTQ Victory Fund. Archived from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  11. Vermont Racial Justice Alliance (June 6, 2020). "Justice for All Endorsement Announcement". Facebook.
  12. True, Morgan (10 August 2016). "Chittenden Senate results: Pearson, Ingram join incumbents". VTDigger.
  13. "Accomplishments". Ingram for VT Senate. Archived from the original on 2020-03-01. Retrieved 2020-03-01.
  14. Norton, Kit (8 June 2020). "Judiciary chair accused of racial tokenism on virtual Senate floor". VTDigger.
  15. "Chittenden County Sen. Debbie Ingram to plead guilty to DUI charge". Burlington Free Press, November 1, 2017.
  16. "Sen. Ingram pleads guilty, apologizes for DUI, will continue to serve". Shelburne News, November 9, 2017.
  17. "Election 2018" Archived 2018-11-20 at the Wayback Machine. The Essex Reporter, November 7, 2018.
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