Vernon 2023 Election: Ole Kushner Hermanson​, Town Council

VERNON, CT — Ole Kushner Hermanson is running for town council in Vernon.

Name

Ole Kushner Hermanson

How old will you be as of Election Day?

43

Does your campaign have a website? If so, include the URL here.

What city or town do you live in?

Vernon CT

What office are you seeking?

Town Council

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here.

Please give us your party affiliation.

Democrat

Education.

I'm proud to have a Bachelors of Arts from ECSU and A Masters in Labor Studies from UMass Amhearst

What is your occupation?

I have worked for over 20 years in the labor movement and I am currently a Director in the Labor Division at the Massachusetts Nurses Association

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

I have an amazing wife and partner Keri who teaches Special Education PreK in Meriden and two wonderful kids who are 17 and 14 and go to Rockville High School. They provide me with balance and motivation and happiness and all sorts of determination to make a better future.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My Mom is a State Senator in Danbury, Connecticut.

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

This is my first time running for office.

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

I've lived in Vernon for over 18 years and have had a great experience raising my kids here but more and more it seems like we have to fight our town government to get the schools our kids deserve or the town services our community deserves. Last year, when I heard the Town Council was planning to bulldoze a pool that had served our community for generations, I knew I had to get involved. The experience of joining together with my community to keep our town pool made me realize I needed to be more involved.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is \_\_\_, and this is what I intend to do about it.

housing and infrastructure, I intend to bring our communities together and work to build a town plan we all believe in. We can have better roads and schools and it will attract the types of businesses our community wants, it will keep people here in our town and attract newcomers who we will welcome.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have a strong working-class identity and I have real-life experience bringing people together and making a vision of a better future a reality. Together we can see it, we can plan it and we can build it.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

By being satisfied with the status quo the current Town Council has been caught looking backward not forwards and has lost sight that while things may be good for some, if any of our community is struggling none of us should be satisfied. They have said no to state funding, they have said no to improvements which would have helped our children and they have just plainly failed to envision a new future for our town.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

I think we can do better in our town by bringing people in not keeping them out. I've been asking every person I talk to what they want to see in a town plan. If we collectively envision our town we can make it a place for all of us not just the few sitting in those council seats.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

In my role as chief negotiator for nurse's unions, I have helped organize hundreds of workers to come together to improve their workplace and have negotiated contracts for thousands of members. I have had the privilege of sitting on huge negotiating committees and working together to find consensus and build strong workplaces with good jobs and great delivery of care.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

I love the quote, It always seems impossible until it is done.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I fundamentally believe that when working people come together we can fashion solutions to make the world a better place for all of us. The best part of this campaign has been getting out and talking to my neighbors about the possible and the future and feeling the sense of community that comes from people working together towards a positive common goal. I'm very excited for Vernon's next chapter.