Brandon Selectboard member Jeff Haylon announced on Tuesday that he is running to represent Brandon and Forest Dale in the Vermont State House. Haylon, a cabinetry salesman, is running as a Democrat and named affordability as a key issue.

“I will fight to make this town more affordable for everyone,” he wrote in a press release. “People who grew up here should be able to comfortably stay. Folks who want to start and maintain businesses here should be encouraged and supported. Those who built their lives here should be able to retire in place.”

Haylon grew up in Connecticut and majored in history at Emory University in Atlanta. His first job out of college was in Texas as a legislative analyst for State Representative James Talarico, now the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas.

“Our politics are reasonably aligned,” Haylon said of Talarico, although he noted that Talarico is a vocal Christian while he is not. Nevertheless, he said, “A political ethos of compassion holds true for both of us.”

Haylon said his time in Texas taught him the crucial impact that state legislatures have on taxes, infrastructure, and other issues that shape day-to-day life.

He returned home when COVID hit and in 2021 moved to Brandon, buying a house with a historic blacksmith’s workshop that he has since restored. He has found the town to be a good fit.

“I don’t see myself moving for the rest of my life,” he said. “The open arms of this community always impress me. I had a medical crisis a couple of years ago and the amount of care I got from people who didn’t even know me was beyond belief.”

He has leapt into Brandon’s active community with both feet. He is currently serving his second term on the selectboard, previously was a Brandon Library trustee, and hosts trivia night at Red Clover Brewery.

He said he decided to run for state office when current Representative Todd Nielsen announced in March that he would not run for reelection. Although Haylon is running as a Democrat, he acknowledged widespread frustration with the party.

“I’d be hoping to make some positive changes for the Democratic Party, especially related to rural voters and rural issues,” he said.

At 30, Haylon would be a notably young face in a state legislature where the average age of representatives in 2025 was 58, according to the Center for Youth Political Participation.

He named the cost of healthcare, the statewide housing shortage, and streamlining of government processes like permitting and taxes as three issues he wants to focus on. He supports a single-payer healthcare system run by a multistate consortium, noting that healthcare in Vermont is among the most expensive in the country. As for housing, he advocates for increasing the housing stock mostly through responsible development in already developed areas — something he says Brandon does well with its mix of apartments and businesses downtown.

Haylon is the first candidate to announce his run in the Rutland-9 District state representative race, which will be decided in the November 3 general election. Haylon will host a campaign kickoff event in the downstairs event space at Café Provence on Saturday, April 25, from 5 to 7 p.m., open to all.