Updated at 11:21 p.m.
Citing health reasons, Sen. Richard “Dick” Mazza (D-Grand Isle) on Monday announced his retirement from the Vermont Senate, where he has served for 39 years.
The influential senator from Colchester was diagnosed with cancer last year and has been absent from Montpelier for much of this session, looking gaunt when he has made brief appearances in person or by video.
In a letter to Gov. Phil Scott, the 84-year-old grocer said he made the decision “with great sadness” and to ensure his constituents are well served in the Statehouse.
“Having dedicated representation has always been one of my top priorities, and I believe the people I serve deserve someone who can provide their full attention to this critical position,” Mazza wrote.
When combined with a brief period in the House of Representatives in the 1970s, Mazza has served in Montpelier for 42 years.
“Each of those days I considered it to be an honor that Vermonters have trusted me with their stories and had faith that I would act on their behalf, regardless of party affiliations or politics,” he wrote.
In a statement, Scott praised Mazza as a “friend and mentor” who took him under his wing years ago when Scott served in the Senate.
“It’s hard to put into words just how effective Senator Mazza has been in Montpelier. He knows when to speak up, and when to do so deliberately. And when he does, everybody listens,” Scott wrote. “Senator Mazza has had the unique ability to command the respect and attention of his fellow senators and beyond. He has often been described as the ‘Conscience of the Senate,’ a perfect summary of the man he is.”
Scott added that the Senate would not be the same “without his humor, enthusiasm, practicality and dedication.”
Former governor Howard Dean, who recruited Mazza to run for Senate in 1984, has praised him as one of the greatest senators in state history.
Mazza wielded considerable influence in the Senate over the course of his career.
Along with the lieutenant governor and Senate president pro tempore, Mazza is one of three members on the Committee on Committees, which assigns senators to serve on committees. Those decisions can have considerable influence on the bills that move forward each session.
click to enlarge - Kevin McCallum ©️ Seven Days
- Sen. Dick Mazza on a legislative conference call in 2020
Mazza’s close relationship with Scott and positions on the Transportation and Institutions committees have also provided him significant sway over key spending decisions.
But Mazza's health has slowed him down recently. He resigned as chair of the Transportation Committee earlier this session when it became clear he couldn’t attend all the meetings.
Scott must now appoint a replacement for Mazza, a decision that could have significant implications on upcoming Senate business.
While Democrats technically have a veto-proof majority with 22 of the chamber’s 30 members, plus a Progressive who usually votes with them, mustering the 20 votes to override a veto from Scott can be challenging. Mazza and other conservative Democrats have previously broken from their colleagues on key social and financial issues.
In the coming weeks, the Senate is expected to vote on Scott’s education secretary appointment, Zoie Saunders. A majority are needed to confirm her. That could be a close vote given the
uproar over Saunders' selection.
In a statement, Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth (D/P-Chittenden-Central) called Mazza's resignation "the passing of an era.
"He has been a giant of a legislator over the decades, as well as a wonderful colleague," Baruth wrote.
U.S. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), who served with Mazza in the state Senate, called his former colleague "a moral touchstone for many."
“Dick Mazza’s enduring respect for our communities and commitment to bipartisanship was a gift to our state and sets an exceptional example – and very high bar – for Vermont's current and future public servants," Welch wrote.