LYNDONVILLE - One State Senator has gone to social media to help him decide who to vote for, for

Governor in January.
One hundred eighty lawmakers will soon have to cast their votes for who they want to be Vermonts next
governor.
Vermont State Senator Joe Benning, of Caledonia-Orange County, wrote a Facebook post asking
Vermonters to weigh in on his vote for Governor.
His post read Dear Vermont Facebook friends: In January your legislature will be asked to vote by secret
ballot for governor. The way I see it, each legislator has three choices: 1) we can vote our conscience; 2)
we can vote according to tradition); or 3) vote the way our respective constitutes voted (in my case, my
senatorial district voted for Scott Milne.) As Senate Minority Leader, I will not use my position to arm-twist
my caucus. But Id like to hear your recommendations for my own consideration."

Joe Bennings Facebook post raised discussion among many people. The post has 109 comments on it,
some included Bennings answers and comments to fellow Vermonters.
In Caledonia County 56% of Vermonters voted for Scott Milne, while only 35% voted for Governor Peter
Shumlin.
Many people said that they wanted Benning to vote for Scott Milne because it was time for a change.
One comment said, You are our voice, Joe! We voted you in and we know that you will do right by us
so be it conscience or senatorial district I have faith that you will see Milne to victory.
Some do not agree that Milne should be governor for the state of Vermont.
You are not presenting the three choices honestly. The reason for voting for the candidate who got the
most votes is not simply tradition, it is that the person who got the most votes is the person preferred by
more voters than any other candidate, so it comes closest to expressing the will of the electorate. Milne
keeps saying the majority of voters did not want Shumlin as governor, but by the same reasoning an even
larger majority of voters did not want Milne to be governor, one commenter said.
After much consideration Joe Benning decided that he is going to vote for Scott Milne. He made the
decision focusing on the financial stability and proper management of the state.