James (Jim) Holley Douglas (born June 21, 1951, in Springfield,
Massachusetts) is an American politician and a member of the Republican
Party. He served as the 80th Governor of Vermont from 2003 to 2011,
following a long and distinguished career in public service.
Douglas graduated from East Longmeadow High School in Massachusetts
before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Middlebury College in
Vermont in 1972. That same year, he was elected to the Vermont House of
Representatives, where his political career quickly gained momentum. By
his third term, at the age of 25, he became the House Majority Leader.
In 1979, Douglas left the legislature to serve as a top aide to Governor
Richard Snelling.
In 1980, Douglas was elected Secretary of State
of Vermont, a position he held for 12 years, winning reelection five
times and often receiving nominations from both major parties. In 1994,
he was elected State Treasurer, where he served until 2003. During his
tenure as Treasurer, Vermont achieved one of the highest bond ratings in
the nation.
Douglas became the Republican nominee for governor in
2002, defeating Democratic Lieutenant Governor Doug Racine in the
general election. He was reelected three times, in 2004, 2006, and 2008,
consistently winning a majority of the vote. As governor, Douglas
focused on strengthening Vermont’s economy, reducing the cost of living,
protecting the environment, and advancing healthcare reforms. He also
worked to foster strong ties between Vermont and Canadian provinces,
particularly Quebec. During his tenure, he served as chairman of the
National Governors Association and was appointed by President Barack
Obama as co-chair of the Council of Governors in 2010.
On August
27, 2009, Douglas announced that he would not seek reelection for a
fifth term. He left office in January 2011 and subsequently became an
Executive in Residence at Middlebury College, where he taught a course
on Vermont government and politics. In 2012, he published a memoir, and
in 2015, he was named interim director of the Vermont Historical
Society. Douglas continues to serve on the Governors’ Council of the
Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C.
Over the course of
his career, Douglas earned more votes than any other individual in
Vermont’s history, reflecting his broad appeal across political lines.
He is married to Dorothy Foster Douglas, and together they have two
sons, Matthew and Andrew, as well as two grandsons.
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