Peter Shumlin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Shumlin
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| 81st Governor of Vermont | |
| In office January 6, 2011 – January 5, 2017 |
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| Lieutenant | Phil Scott |
| Preceded by | Jim Douglas |
| Succeeded by | Phil Scott |
| 77th & 79th President pro tempore of the Vermont Senate | |
| In office January 3, 2007 – January 5, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Peter Welch |
| Succeeded by | John Campbell |
| In office January 8, 1997 – January 8, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Stephen Webster |
| Succeeded by | Peter Welch |
| Member of the Vermont Senate from the Windham County district |
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| In office January 3, 2007 – January 5, 2011 Serving with Jeanette White
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| Preceded by | Roderick "Rod" M. Gander |
| Succeeded by | Peter Galbraith |
| In office January 6, 1993 – January 8, 2003 Serving with Jan Backus, Nancy Chard
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| Preceded by | Robert T. Gannett |
| Succeeded by | Jeanette White Roderick "Rod" M. Gander |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Peter Elliott Shumlin
March 24, 1956 Brattleboro, Vermont, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
Elizabeth Preston Parsons
(m. 1981, divorced)Deborah Holway
(m. 1989; div. 2013)Katie Hunt
(m. 2015) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Wesleyan University (BA) |
| Signature |  |
Peter Elliott Shumlin (born March 24, 1956) is an American politician from Vermont. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He served as the 81st governor of Vermont from 2011 to 2017. A governor is the leader of a state government.
Shumlin was first elected governor in 2010. He was re-elected for a second term in 2012. In 2014, he won the most votes but not more than 50%. Because of this, the Vermont General Assembly (the state's legislature) had to choose the winner. They chose Shumlin for a third term in January 2015. In June 2015, he announced he would not run for re-election in 2016.
During his time as governor, he signed laws about labeling genetically modified foods (GMOs). Vermont was the first state to have such a law. He also led the Democratic Governors Association for his first two terms. This group helps Democratic governors work together.
Before becoming governor, he was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1991 to 1993. He also represented the Windham District in the Vermont Senate from 1993 to 2003 and again from 2007 to 2011.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Peter Shumlin was born in Brattleboro, Vermont. He went to Buxton School in Williamstown, Massachusetts, for high school. He then graduated from Wesleyan University in 1979.
In the 1980s, Shumlin served on the Selectboard for the town of Putney. A Selectboard is a group of elected officials who manage a town's local government. He also helped start Landmark College. This college was created to help students with learning disabilities get a college education.
Peter's father, George J. Shumlin, was Jewish and came from Russian immigrant families. His mother, Kitty A. (Prins) Shumlin, was from the Netherlands and was Protestant.
Early Political Career
Serving in the Vermont Legislature
In 1990, Governor Madeleine Kunin chose Peter Shumlin to fill an open spot in the Vermont House of Representatives. He served there until 1993.
In 1992, he was elected to the Vermont Senate. He quickly became the leader of the minority party. In 1996, he helped his fellow Democrats win control of the Senate. In 1997, he became the Senate President Pro Tempore. This is a leader who runs the Senate meetings.
Running for Lieutenant Governor
In 2002, Shumlin won the Democratic nomination to become Lieutenant Governor of Vermont. However, he lost the main election to Republican Brian Dubie.
Time Away from Politics
From 2003 to 2006, Shumlin worked for his family's business, Putney Student Travel. This company helps middle and high school students travel to other countries. They learn about different cultures and prepare for college.
Returning to the Vermont Senate
In 2006, Shumlin successfully ran for his old seat in the State Senate. When he returned, he was again chosen as the President Pro Tempore.
Governor of Vermont
Elections for Governor
2010 Election
On November 16, 2009, Shumlin announced he wanted to be the Democratic candidate for Governor of Vermont. He won the primary election in August 2010.
In the general election on November 2, 2010, Shumlin received the most votes. However, he did not get more than 50% of the votes. Vermont law says that if no candidate gets over 50%, the Vermont General Assembly chooses the winner. The General Assembly almost always picks the person who got the most votes. On January 6, 2011, they elected Shumlin as governor.
Vermont and New Hampshire are the only U.S. states where governors are elected every two years. Most other states have four-year terms.
2012 Election
The 2012 election was on November 6, 2012. Shumlin ran again and won easily. He defeated Republican Randy Brock with 57.8% of the votes.
2014 Election
Shumlin ran for a third term in 2014. In the election, he got 46.4% of the votes, and his main opponent, Scott Milne, got 45.1%. Since no one got over 50%, the Constitution of Vermont required the Vermont General Assembly to choose. On January 8, 2015, the Assembly chose Shumlin to be governor again.
First Term as Governor
Important Events
After Shumlin became governor in 2010, some of the people he ran against in the primary joined his team. They helped him lead the state.
A very important event during his first term was Tropical Storm Irene. This storm caused almost every river in Vermont to flood. It damaged many roads and bridges. The cost to fix everything was estimated to be over $700 million. This meant Vermont's budget had to be changed a lot.
Key Moments in 2011
- May 26: Shumlin signed a bill to create a state health care exchange. This was part of the Affordable Care Act, a national health care law. Vermont became the first state to plan for a "single-payer" health care system. This means the state would pay for most health care costs.
- August 17: Shumlin became the first sitting governor in the U.S. to lead a same-sex wedding ceremony.
- August 27: Shumlin declared a state of emergency because Tropical Storm Irene was coming. This helped the state prepare for the severe weather.
Key Moments in 2012
- January 5: In his annual speech, Shumlin talked about how Vermont was creating more jobs. The state's unemployment rate had gone down.
- April 11: Shumlin had a funny moment when he tried to scare away bears from his bird feeders. He joked that Vermont "almost lost the governor."
- May 16: Shumlin signed a bill that banned "fracking" (hydraulic fracturing). This is a method used to get natural gas from underground. Vermont was the first state to ban it.
- December 4: Shumlin was chosen to lead the Democratic Governors Association for 2013.
Second Term as Governor
Major Issues
Shumlin was against the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant. His team wanted it to close. Even though a court initially said Vermont couldn't force it to close, the plant's owner announced in August 2013 that it would close by the end of 2014.
Shumlin also wanted to create a "single-payer health care" system for Vermont. In 2011, the state created a plan called Green Mountain Care. However, in December 2014, Shumlin announced that Vermont would stop trying to create this system. He said it would cause "potential economic disruption" for the state.
Key Moments in 2013
- January 10: Shumlin gave a speech about improving education in Vermont. He wanted to make the state's workforce more appealing to businesses.
- December 9: He was chosen again to lead the Democratic Governors Association for 2014.
Key Moments in 2014
- December 17: Shumlin announced that Vermont would no longer pursue its plan for a single-payer health care system.
Third Term as Governor
Key Moments in 2015
On June 8, 2015, Shumlin announced he would not run for a fourth term as governor in 2016.
Unlike some other governors, Shumlin said that Vermont would continue to welcome refugees (people fleeing war) from Syria. He said that America is great because it helps people in trouble.
Pardons
During his time as governor, Peter Shumlin issued 208 pardons. A pardon is when a governor forgives someone for a crime, removing their punishment. This was the most pardons given by any Vermont governor.
Political Views
In 2011, Shumlin supported a group called "Team Kale" in a disagreement with a fast food restaurant. He said it showed that people shouldn't "mess with Vermont."
Shumlin supports same-sex marriage. He helped make it legal in Vermont when he was the President Pro Tempore of the Vermont Senate.
On May 8, 2015, Shumlin signed a bill about labeling genetically modified food (GMO). This law meant that some products sold in Vermont had to say if they were made with genetic engineering.
Personal Life
Family
Peter Shumlin was married to Deborah Holway from 1989 to 2013. They have two daughters together.
In September 2015, Shumlin announced he was engaged to Kate Hunt. They got married in December 2015 at their home in East Montpelier.
Images for kids
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Peter Shumlin's signature
See also
In Spanish: Peter Shumlin para niños
