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.
MOVING VERMONT FORWARD
Vermont faces real challenges, from affordability and housing to education and public safety. I believe we need practical solutions that recognize where we are today while giving Vermont a better chance at a brighter future.
These are my commitments to you:
Cost of Living & Healthcare
I will fight to make housing more affordable in Vermont.
Vermonters are working hard, but too much of what they earn is going toward taxes, housing, healthcare and other basic expenses. I support meaningful tax relief and policies that give families, seniors and working Vermonters more room in their budgets.
I support $250 Million in income-tax relief.
I support $250 million in income-tax relief in 2027, with relief targeted toward low- and middle-income Vermonters, Social Security recipients and retired military recipients. I believe Vermonters should be able to keep more of what they earn and use it to support their families and communities.
I support $134 Million in homestead property tax relief.
The proposal would move the Education Property Tax Credit to the General Fund, reducing homestead property taxes by $134 million while continuing to protect Vermonters who qualify for income-based property-tax relief.
I will support more competition in health insurance.
Vermont needs more choices when it comes to healthcare coverage. I support increasing the number of health insurers in Vermont and giving insurers greater flexibility to offer coverage options that meet the needs of individuals, families and employers.
I will support stronger rural healthcare.
Rural Vermonters deserve access to quality healthcare close to home. I support reducing unnecessary administrative burdens, strengthening healthcare workforce recruitment and retention, and improving the long-term stability of community hospitals, rural health centers and independent medical practices.
Affordable Housing & Jobs
I will work to make it easier to build housing in Vermont.
Vermont cannot solve its housing challenges without building more homes. I support policies that increase housing supply, reduce unnecessary barriers and lower the cost of building and renovating homes.
I support expanding Vermont's housing supply.
I support fully implementing 802 Homes and the Community and Housing Infrastructure Program, or CHIP. These programs are intended to help reduce construction costs and make it easier to add the housing Vermont needs.
I will support modernizing zoning and permitting.
I support modernizing local zoning and permitting laws so communities can build more homes and, where appropriate, allow more homes per parcel. A more predictable process can help reduce unnecessary delays and costs while allowing housing construction to respond to demand.
I will work to remove unnecessary regulatory barriers.
Vermont needs rules that protect our communities without making it unnecessarily difficult or expensive to build. I support removing unnecessary regulatory barriers that discourage housing construction and private investment.
I will support Vermont's farms and local businesses.
Our farms, food processors, forest businesses and other employers are an important part of Vermont's economy. I support reducing unnecessary regulatory and permitting barriers, restoring Vermont's machinery and investment tax credit, and helping these businesses modernize, diversify and grow.
I will prioritize paving and maintaining Vermont’s roads.
Vermonters rely on our roads every day to get to work, school, businesses, healthcare, and home. Vermont has approximately 2,700 miles of state highways, yet the state plans to pave just 56 miles in FY27. I will work to fully fund the Transportation Fund and increase annual state highway paving to a goal of 300 miles, helping keep our roads safer, smoother, and more reliable.
Education & Taxpayer Value
I will work for a more effective and sustainable education system.
Vermont's education system is facing declining enrollment, rising costs and concerning educational outcomes. I believe we need to modernize how education is delivered so that Vermont can improve results while making responsible use of taxpayer dollars.
I support modernizing Vermont's education system.
Vermont's schools are operating in a very different environment than they did decades ago. I support transforming our education system into a more modern and efficient model that recognizes today's enrollment, financial and educational realities.
I will address the challenge of declining enrollment.
Vermont's K–12 enrollment has fallen significantly over the past 25 years. I believe we need to acknowledge that change and give school districts the tools to adapt rather than continuing to operate as though enrollment were still growing.
I will work to improve educational outcomes.
Our children deserve an education system that delivers strong results. I support efforts to address declining test scores and high-school completion rates while making sure that improvements in efficiency do not come at the expense of educational opportunity.
I will support responsible education spending.
Vermont needs to take a hard look at the cost of delivering education, including an all-in cost of more than $35,000 per student. I support finding responsible ways to contain costs and improve efficiency while maintaining a strong education system.
I will work to reduce the property-tax burden.
Education spending is closely connected to Vermont's property-tax burden. I support the Education Property Tax Credit proposal as part of a broader effort to provide meaningful property-tax relief while continuing to protect Vermonters whose education taxes are based on household income.
Public Safety & Crime
I will work to make our communities safer.
Vermonters deserve to feel safe in their homes, neighborhoods and communities. I believe public safety requires both accountability for people who commit serious crimes and a willingness to address the underlying challenges that contribute to crime and instability.
I support reforming Vermont's bail system.
I support a 2027 constitutional amendment to give judges greater authority to detain people awaiting trial when they pose a significant threat to public safety or are serial repeat offenders. The goal is to give judges additional tools while respecting the constitutional rights of people accused of crimes.
I will support accountability for repeat and violent offenders.
People who repeatedly commit serious or violent offenses can pose an ongoing threat to their communities. I support giving law enforcement and courts the tools they need to hold repeat and violent offenders accountable.
I support repealing Vermont's Raise the Age laws.
I support repealing Vermont's Raise the Age laws while maintaining services intended to help young offenders return to productive lives. Young people should have opportunities to change course, while communities must also have appropriate protections when serious offenses occur.
I will support addressing addiction and mental health.
Public safety cannot be separated from the challenges of addiction and mental health. I support an approach that helps people who need treatment and support while maintaining accountability when necessary.
I will work to strengthen local public-safety resources.
Not every Vermont community has the same resources to provide law enforcement and other public-safety services. I support exploring regional cooperation between communities where working together can help provide stronger and more reliable public-safety resources.
These commitments aren't the answer to everything Vermont faces. But I believe they are a sensible start, focused on making Vermont more affordable, expanding opportunity, improving the systems we rely on.
I encourage you to learn more at vermontpromise.com.
"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
