Meet Senator Pat Brennan
Born in Vermont, Pat settled down in Colchester in 1985. He and his wife, Mary, have two children, Ryan and Katie, and three grandchildren, Reagan, Denny, and McKay.
30 years ago, Pat became a small business owner. With his dad, he launched Brennan’s Quick Stop and the Bloomin' Onion Concessions which has since become a staple of the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds, attracting the appetites of Vermonters.
Pat began his public service by serving for 7 years on the Colchester Planning Commission in the early 90’s. From 2003, to 2025 Pat has served Colchester in the Vermont House of Representatives.
Elected as State Senator in 2024, Pat is seeking re-election to continue the fight against cost of living increases and polices which are damaging to working-class Vermonters.
The Issues
Property/Home
& Education Tax
Vermont's property tax crisis is no longer a warning — it's a reality. Education property taxes have risen more than 40% in five years, Act 73 passed to fix it, and the legislature's own task force already undermined it by rejecting the mandatory consolidation maps the law required. Vermont also spends among the most per pupil in the nation while enrollment falls and test scores lag. Real reform means holding Montpelier to what it actually passed — not a voluntary substitute that protects the status quo.
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Education property taxes up more than 40% over five years, with another double-digit increase projected
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Act 73's own redistricting task force rejected the mandatory consolidation maps the law required
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Vermont ranks among the highest per-pupil spenders in the nation — with declining enrollment and lagging test scores to show for it
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Will fight for full Act 73 implementation, not a watered-down replacement that kicks the hard decisions down the road
The Economy & Cost of Living
Vermont is becoming unaffordable for the people who built it. Home prices have climbed steadily since 2020, taxes and fees compound the burden every year, and Vermonters of all ages are making the painful calculation that they can't afford to stay. One-time budget gimmicks provide short-term cover while the underlying problem gets worse. The fix is disciplined spending, regulatory reform that gets housing built, and a legislature that understands every new mandate has a real cost to real people.
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Home prices have risen sharply since 2020, pricing out working families and first-time buyers
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Rising taxes and fees drive residents of all ages out of state every year
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One-time buydowns provide short-term relief while the underlying problem compounds
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Will advocate for disciplined spending, regulatory relief, and policies that keep Vermont affordable for the people who live and work here
The Environment & Clean Water
Protecting Lake Champlain is not a partisan issue — it's a responsibility that comes with living here. A decade of investment has produced real progress, but Vermont has achieved roughly one-third of the phosphorus reductions needed to meet its cleanup goals. That's progress worth building on, not declaring victory over. Vermont's environment is our economy, and we have an obligation to finish the job.
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A decade of clean water investment has kept millions of pounds of phosphorus out of Lake Champlain
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Vermont has achieved roughly one-third of the reductions needed — the work is far from done
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Strong enforcement of pollution regulations and modern infrastructure remain essential
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Will continue advocating for clean water funding, regulatory accountability, and the local partnerships driving real results
Public Safety
& Crime
Vermont has made real progress — overdose deaths are down 37% from their 2022 peak. But the work isn't done. Fentanyl and cocaine trafficking continue to flow into our communities, and health officials are tracking a troubling shift toward stimulant drug use. The debate over prosecutorial accountability remains unresolved. Robust recovery resources and real consequences for traffickers aren't competing ideas — both are necessary, and Vermont families deserve an honest answer on both.
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Drug overdose deaths down 37% from a 2022 peak — progress that must be sustained
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Fentanyl and cocaine trafficking continue flowing into Vermont communities
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Health officials tracking a shift toward stimulant drug use — a new phase of the crisis
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Supports robust recovery resources and meaningful consequences for traffickers — not one without the other
Efficiency & Transparency
Vermonters didn't elect study committees — they elected legislators. Too often in Montpelier, hard decisions get punted to task forces whose recommendations are then rubber-stamped or quietly ignored. Act 73 is the latest example: the legislature passed a reform law with mandatory requirements, then appointed a task force that rejected them. That's not governance — it erodes public trust. Decisions about Vermont's future should be made by elected representatives, on the record, accountable to the people who sent them there.
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Hard decisions routinely get delegated to unelected task forces, insulating legislators from accountability
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Act 73's task force rejected the mandatory maps the law required — lawmakers must own that outcome
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Vermonters deserve decisions made by their elected representatives, on the record
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Will push for a legislature that takes direct responsibility for the choices it was sent to Montpelier to make
"I am honored to represent the residents of Colchester and the Islands. As your State Senator, I am committed to restoring affordability to Vermont and creating a future where all families can thrive."
-Pat Brennan
