Cynthia Browning may challenge Mitzi Johnson for House Speaker

By Guy Page

A independent Democratic legislator who last month on the floor of the House called Speaker Mitzi Johnson “deplorable” now says she may run for speaker of the House.

“If I am so fortunate as to be re-elected, I may also be running for Speaker of the House for the January 2021 session,” Rep. Cynthia Browning (D-Arlington) writes in the March 1 Manchester Journal, a weekly newspaper in Bennington County.

A Rochester, NY native, Browning has represented her district since 2007. According to her legislative biography, the Arlington selectperson and executive director of the Batten Kill Watershed Alliance holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and has taught economics at Bates College, Smith College, and Williams College. In the Democratic caucus, she is generally regarded as an outspoken fiscal conservative who criticizes and votes against legislation she considers unwise.

Guy Page

She is also a critic of the current legislative leadership process, as shown by her statement in the Journal: “I find that under current leadership in Montpelier politics and ideology sometimes dominate reality. Policies are formed based on pre-determined political promises and rhetoric, rather than developed out of an open examination of the facts and evidence surrounding a particular problem.”

In the second week of February, with Johnson presiding from the podium, Browning rose on the House floor to deliver a critique of House leadership — including Johnson, by name — almost unprecedented in its use of firm language and its source – a fellow Democrat. As reported by the Feb. 13 Vermont Daily Chronicle, Browning three times described as “deplorable” leadership’s behind-the-scenes efforts to get recalcitrant caucus members to support the paid family leave override – which failed by a single vote.

When a VT Digger columnist called Browning a “gadfly” in the wake of the floor speech, Valley News editor John Gregg took exception, saying on Twitter: “Gadfly? Cynthia Browning is a behavioral economist with a PhD from the University of Michigan. Don’t you want people with those skills raising questions in floor debate about potential long-term pension obligations? Also, wasn’t she a lonely Democrat warning about the fallacy of Vermont going it alone on single-payer health care in 2014 when most of the caucus had its head in the sand?”

If Browning throws her hat into the ring for the Speaker’s gavel, it is unclear whether House Republicans and Independents will support her. If they do, Browning would then need “only” about 30 Democrats to support her — which some might because they agree with her criticisms of leadership, share her policy views, and/or think a new Speaker might consider them committee leadership material. Her challenge also could embolden a left-of-center candidate uniting the Progressives and the left-of-center Democrats. Johnson is regarded by some State House observers as a uniter and a fairly “centrist” choice, especially by lawmakers who seek aggressive action on climate, commercial cannabis, and criminal justice legislation.

Browning isn’t the only Bennington County Democrat to be challenging the establishment. Rep. Linda Joy Sullivan (D-Dorset), a CPA and professional auditor, will run against incumbent State Auditor Doug Hoffer in the Democratic primary in August. She is holding an RSVP campaign event March 8 at Ralph’s Sushi Boat in Manchester.

Read more of Guy Page’s reports.

Image courtesy of Michael Bielawski/TNR

4 thoughts on “Cynthia Browning may challenge Mitzi Johnson for House Speaker

  1. By golly, Cynthia sounds like a solid clear thinking Republican. Sadly, if she swtched parties, she probably would not be reelected. She’s got the credentials sorely needed in Montpelier.

  2. About time someone challenges Johnson. She is a egotistical self important “person” who could care less about Vermonters, just her and the Prog’s far left agenda. In her mind, Vermonters are just to stupid to make their own decisions. She and Ashe, Baruth, Grad, etc., have taken this state down to rock bottom. C’est la vie!!

  3. Not sure Browning can use “Deplorable” without donating a million to the criminal clinton cabal… especially since Mitzi isn’t a Trump supporter…

    Browning sounds like a more reasonable flatlander then Mitzi however….

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