Monique Priestley, VT State Representative

08/30/2026

In an hourlong interview, he said his industry was downplaying the risks, which he believes include mass unemployment and bioterrorism.

08/27/2026

Excerpt: “I support this week’s $17B Meta settlement and congratulate Attorney General Clark and her office for their work to see it through. I also know the office that just won this case is not staffed to keep winning. Companies are making money off addictive features and privacy abuses at a scale that dwarfs this settlement number. It is a drop in the bucket of what Vermonters should be able to expect. Vermont should use a fraction of its $92.7M to build a privacy and digital protection division inside the Attorney General’s Office.”

My full op-ed explains why and can be found on my website under Media > Opinion & Editorials and on Substack. priestleyvt.com/media

08/13/2026

Thank you, Orange County voters! I am thrilled to be your Democratic [and Progressive] nominee for Orange County State Senate. There is so much more work ahead leading up to the November 3rd General Election, but I wanted to take a moment to say thank you! 🧡💚

08/10/2026

Remember to vote on August 11th in the Vermont Primary! Thank you to everyone who has visited with me, marched in parades, hosted and attended events, knocked doors, contributed financially, and generally chipped in to help out. ❤️

08/09/2026

Thank you shoutout to Ben, the Geopolitical Insight & Education Foundation, and the Regulating AI Podcast’s “AI on the Ballot” series for having Amanda Janoo and I on to chat about AI and this election season. They are dividing the 30 minute interview into 3 parts, the first of which just landed. As always, this and other interviews can be found under the Media section of my website (under Interviews).

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amanda Janoo and State Represen...

08/08/2026

I’m hearing from a lot of you regarding TRORC’s draft regional plan. I agree that this plan is too strict and it needs more public input and stronger respect for local control. I’m sending my own letter to TRORC and the LURB with these concerns.

So many of you are already getting involved which is great. For those of you who are wondering what steps you can take, I’ve included information to help. TL;DR: Comment to TRORC and the LURB directly. Ask your Selectboard to instruct your town’s TRORC rep on how to vote.

I’ve posted a longer breakdown, links, and contact info for TRORC/LURB to my website: priestleyvt.com. I have tried to address comments and questions I’ve seen online regarding Act 181, what a regional planning commission is, how we got here, and how we can move forward.

Please feel free to reach out to me directly at my website or via email at [email protected]

08/07/2026

This week I had the honor of participating in two debates: Sunday’s event at Poulin & Daughters Family Farm, hosted by Rep. Jay Hooper and moderated by Kevin Ellis, and Wednesday’s debate in Fairlee, hosted by the Fairlee Democratic Committee and moderated by Martin Burns. I am grateful to the hosts and moderators for putting together thoughtful conversations, to all the House and Senate candidates who showed up to share their vision for Orange County, and to everyone in our communities who turned out to listen, ask questions, and stay engaged. Primary day is August 11th. Make sure your vote is cast!

Pics taken by Ally Howell, Bob Farnham, and Aiden Otterman. 📸

08/07/2026

I spent a large portion of Tuesday and Wednesday participating in the Vermont Public Banking Congress. On Tuesday, we toured local farms to learn about how they are staying resilient to changes in our climate and economy through diversification and regenerative practices. These farms are the backbone of our rural economy, and if we want them to thrive for another generation, we need financing tools built for Vermont. That’s exactly why I’m excited to dive into public banking. Keeping Vermont’s money working for Vermont, financing farms, housing, disaster recovery, and infrastructure, instead of sending our deposits to Wall Street. Bank of North Dakota has proven it can work for over a century. I immediately saw parallels with the fight against Big Tech... just in a fight against Big Banks flavor. Who doesn’t like a solid fight for the common good? Huge thanks to the White River Natural Resources Conservation District for organizing this Congress and bringing farmers, legislators, economists, and community leaders together for this conversation.

08/07/2026

Democratic candidates Monique Priestley and Rose Lucenti will compete in the upcoming primary for Vermont's Orange County Senate seat.

08/05/2026

I am thankful for the opportunity to share my most recent endorsement: Run for Something. Run for Something backs millennial and Gen Z leaders who are authentic, values-driven, and rooted in community. They exist to support candidates who understand their communities firsthand, not just the theory of governing them. Nothing is more important to me than community. Money was scarce growing up, but my sister and I were taught to give back in service to others anyway. And over and over, we saw the power of community showing up for us in return. When I came home after college, I had the good fortune of being mentored into dozens of nonprofit and municipal leadership roles. Those volunteer years eventually led to founding The Space On Main, turning our local five and dime into a community workspace built around entrepreneurship, creative economy, youth STEM, and civic engagement. I built it because I live here, work here, and gave my time where it was needed. Service in the Legislature is the same thing, giving of my time and skills where they are needed. I look forward to continuing that work, and to collaborating with so many people to meet the needs of our Orange County communities.