Laura Sibilia is one of only five independents in the 150-member Vermont House of Representatives. Prior to redistricting in 2022, Sibilia represented the Windham-Bennington District. Now, she represents the Windham-2 District.
Since taking office in 2014, Sibilia has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to serving the people, not political parties or special interests. From the beginning, Sibilia has rejected contributions from PACs and lobbyists.
I know where my power comes from. My power comes from the bottom up, and when I lose faith with the people in my district, I'm done. I'm out, and that's how it should be.
People forget about that, and they think the power resides in the building, in the parties, and in the party structure. There's some legitimacy to that, but it's not real, and it's not how this country was founded. It's not how I want to serve. It's not how I think people should serve. You should be there because your people want you to be there, not because the leaders want you to be there.
From School Board to State Representative
Sibilia was already serving on her community’s school board when local leaders first encouraged her to run for state legislature in 2011.
“The meeting was on property taxes, and they said, ‘You need to run.’ I said, ‘I'm not ready to run. My kids are little still,’” Sibilia said. “They were, at the time, pretty moderate Republicans. I said, ‘I'm not a Republican, and also I'm not a Democrat.’ And they're like, ‘That's fine. That's fine.’ So that planted the seed. Asking people to run is important, and I did think about it for several years and continued trying to work with my representative.”
Over the next few years, Sibilia watched as her rural community reeled from declining school enrollment, high property taxes, and the economic fallout of Tropical Storm Irene. By 2014, she had grown frustrated by the sitting representative’s lack of attention to local issues.
“I just felt that he was not focused on the issues that were really important in our district. And finally I said, ‘That's enough.’ So I decided to run,” Sibilia said.
Sibilia’s campaign signs reflected this focus, with the message “Our Local Voice.”
"In a state that is so small and districts that are so small, you've got to be responsive to the needs of your district and in touch with the needs of your district," Sibilia said. "That was it for me. We were really reeling from economic devastation and trying to rebuild."
During her campaign, Sibilia was vocal about rejecting donations from PACs and lobbyists.
"I'm not taking money from PACs. I'm not taking money from any outside influences. It's just going to be local folks and local businesses."
Sibilia won the 2014 general election with 45% of the vote in a three-way race, beating the Democratic incumbent by 39 votes.
Since then, Sibilia has been reelected five times. She has defeated both Democratic and Republican challengers and continued to provide transparent, independent representation for her district.
Building Trust Through Transparency
Sibilia has maintained a regular blog and newsletter since her first term, along with a steady stream of op-eds. She treats constituent communication as one of the most important parts of the job.
"I feel like that is one of the most important things that I can do for my constituents. I absolutely can never vote the way that 100% of my voters would like me to vote, and so what is the alternative? The alternative is [saying], ‘Here's what's happening,’ as objectively as I can, with links, in language that hopefully most people can understand and is approachable."
Even when the General Assembly isn't in session, Sibilia still sends updates roughly every two weeks.
"I hear from people all over Vermont, of all political persuasions, that they really appreciate the information that I disseminate," she said. "They appreciate that I'll sit and talk with them, and that I will connect them with information. That has not been their experience with a lot of other folks.”
For Sibilia, consistent communication is a way to serve even the constituents who disagree with her decisions.
“As a representative of the people, it's important to remember you cannot represent 100% of what they want. You've got to respect that, and you've got to find alternatives to try and serve every single person in your district, even those you disagree with,” she said. “They have to be able to trust that if you say something, you mean it. If you say something, you can back it up, even if they don't like it.”
Legislative Wins Built From the Bottom Up
Over the past 12 years, Sibilia has continued to champion the local issues she first ran on.
Sibilia spent more than a decade pushing for a change to the "student weights" formula that determines how Vermont funds its schools, at times filibustering on the House floor to keep the issue alive. She helped pass an income tax exemption for military retirees' pensions. She has worked on climate and energy legislation as a member of the House committee overseeing energy and digital infrastructure.
She has also pushed smaller bills, from naming the Gilfeather turnip the state vegetable of Vermont to simplifying the permitting required to move electric lines out of the woods.
Sibilia co-chairs the tri-partisan Rural Caucus, alongside a Democrat and a Republican. In 2023, the caucus received the Vermont League of Cities and Towns' Legislative Service Award. It was the first time the award had gone to a legislative caucus rather than an individual.
Recently, the Rural Caucus has succeeded in pushing back against portions of Act 250, a large piece of legislation that has drawn backlash from rural Vermont residents.
“The Rural Caucus just kept shining a light on it,” Sibilia said. “When rural Vermonters started to understand how it was impacting them, we had a lot of success this year, repealing portions of it. I was trying to help and advise the leadership in the House along the way, like, ‘You're going to lose this. You didn't listen when we passed it. The people are [saying], ‘We have a pitchfork party out front. Anybody paying attention?’ It's time to reverse course.’”
Turning Down the Party's Playbook
Sibilia has become a trusted figure in the Vermont General Assembly, and that influence has come with attempts to persuade her to take on a party label.
Sibilia said the pressure increased when she ran for Speaker of the House, and again when she considered running for State Senate.
“In the last biennium, I ran for speaker at the beginning, and there was a lot of pressure. Then I was contemplating a run for Senate, and a lot of pressure from the Democrats,” Sibilia said. “I definitely lean more towards the left, and it certainly would make my life easier in some ways. I'm a known quantity, and so I think everyone knows you're going to get me; I'm not getting you. I am who I am. I'm going to be speaking up. I'll disagree. You're going to get the Sibilia show.”
Even if she could remain authentic as a Democrat, Sibilia said she chooses independence because it keeps her more accountable to her constituents.
“What would I tell my constituents? Like, why am I doing that?” Sibilia said. “The answer that I kept coming up with, and that I said to all of the folks that were trying to get me to do this, and the only answer that occurs to me is, I'm trying to access greater power, and I don't believe that is the way to access power. I don't believe that's the right system. I've run in opposition to that. I believe in grassroots. I believe in bottom-up organizing, all of that.”
Wherever her political career takes her next, Sibilia is resolute in retaining her independence.
"There's so much cynicism. People that are in power, that are in elected office, the decisions they make are centered around, ‘How can I get to the next place?’ I cannot do it, and I won't do it. So I may go to the next place, but if I go to the next place, it'll be as an independent."
Sibilia has words of guidance for other legislators who are thinking about becoming independent:
“I tell them, ‘Be who you are. Don't be somebody different.’ There's a lot of people in the parties that are maybe not a ‘party person,’ you know?” Sibilia said. “I'm looking for some courage. People are looking for courage.”
Serving the People, Not Special Interests
Twelve years, six elections, and zero lobbyist checks later, Sibilia remains one of the clearest examples of what a leader can accomplish when they answer to their constituents instead of a party.
Sibilia serves without staff and without a substantial enough legislative salary to live on. She works a separate job year-round to provide for her family, and she never stops working for her constituents.
“If there's an issue that I learn about that is particularly troublesome, I address it immediately,” Sibilia said. “I'll go down to the speaker's office or to the governor's office or to the chair, and start to try and understand what's happening here, start to communicate this may be a problem, start to do my research, et cetera. When you're an independent, if you are going to do a good job for your people, and you're not going to be in a party, you are going to work hard.”
Sibilia said she would encourage more people to step up, run for office, and give voters more choices.
We need good leadership at the local level, at the state level, and at the federal level. Contests are really good for democracy. It's giving the people a choice. Even if you lose, if you run an honest campaign and you work hard and you lose, you've given the people a choice. That is your part in helping democracy function. If you're running against an incumbent, it's keeping them honest.
It's really incumbent upon all of us to do our part. It is a little scary. It's a little hard. Things that are worth having are worth fighting for, and I love this country.
If you’re considering running for office as an independent, organizations like GoodParty.org are here to level the playing field and provide the support you need.
“There's people out there who will support and listen and help,” Sibilia said. “You guys [at GoodParty.org] are great. There's other third-party and independent support groups out there. So you're not alone. It's different, but you're not alone.”
Considering a run for office? Explore the campaign resources trusted by over 13,000 winning independent and nonpartisan candidates.