Beck and Willhoit Take St. J

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Created on Wednesday, 05 November 2014 18:35

Written by Ryan Rutledge

ST. JOHNSBURY - Repbulicans Scott Beck and Janssen Willhoit unseated Democratic Incumbents Bob South and Michelle Fay in a close contest last night.

Scott Beck was the top vote getter with 31.09% of the vote. The most heated contest of the night was between Fay and Willhoit with only 27 votes separating the two, but in the end Willhoit took home the seat. Bob South took home the least votes with 21.75 percent of the vote.

Janssen Wilhoit, a public defense lawyer, aims to take a common sense to Montpelier when it comes to the issues. Willhoit is also a large advocate for criminal rights following his own experience serving 5 years in his home state of Kentucky for swindling approximately 95,000 dollars from clients as a stock broker. He also would like to focus on tax reform to help small businesses compete and he opposes Governer Shumlin's single-payer healthcare.

Scott Beck is a St. Johnsbury native who is a teacher at Saint Johnsbury Academy, owns the Boxcar & Caboose bookstore in downtown St. Johnsbury, as well as having served as executive director of the St. Johnsbury Chamber of Commerce. Beck has run on the issues of cutting spending statewide, taxes on the northeast kingdom,  and cutting over spending on the education system statewide. He also opposes the proposed single-payer healthcare system that he feels would put a large burden on the citizens of the Northeast Kingdom.

Beck and Willhoit will officially be taking office in the capital in January.