Election Day is still a week away, but Cassandra Gekas says she has already lined up a new job if her bid for lieutenant governor falls short.

The Progressive and Democratic candidate said Monday she’s been offered a job as legislative coordinator — or chief lobbyist — for the Vermont State Employees Association, which represents 5200 state workers.

“I’ve had an interview with them and they’ve said they want to bring me on, so now it’s sitting there until after the election,” Gekas said.

Gekas said she reached out to VSEA executive director Mark Mitchell last week upon learning that the union was hiring. During a job interview last Thursday, according to Gekas, “He said it’s yours if you want it.”

She added, “I don’t know what their processes are like, but I can’t do anything official because I want to see where the race turns out. That’s where my energies are focused.”

Paul Heintz was part of the Seven Days news team from 2012 to 2020. He served as political editor and wrote the "Fair Game" political column before becoming a staff writer.

39 replies on “Gekas Says She’s Been Offered a Job by Public Employee Union”

  3. We’ll have to agree to disagree. I personally wish we had far more people running for public office. And I don’t care what political experience candidates may or may not have. I am more concerned with their platform, their life experience, and their professional/work track record. I can’t understand why anyone would in any way discourage people from participating directly in our democracy. The more the better. And for what its worth I am planning to run for public office. I encourage you to do so as well.

  4. Um . . . since you yourself have apparently never run for statewide (or any) office, where do you get your special insight about the supposed courage and dedication it takes to do so? I don’t know whether it takes courage and dedication, but I’d say it does take a hefty helping of egotism.
    And, yes, I’ll repeat, one should not have the egotism to start at the top when one has never held elective office before. The names you previously mentioned, Dean and Dubie, both held lower office before running for Lt. Gov. Dean was a state rep and Dubie served for many years on the Essex school board. Holding lower office first gives you experience and insight.

  5. How exactly did Ms. Geka “use her campaign” to get a job? Other than being an experience she can add to her resume, what influence exactly does running for office provide?

  6. I find you and your campaign out of touch. Push the broom before you sit at the boardroom table lady.

  7. I’ll repeat -you are aware that our current Lieutenant Governor (and likely every Lt. Gov. before him) has a day job, right? Remember Captain Dubie? Or Doctor Dean? I call your BS and raise you “facts”.

  8. Simply because if you had ever run, particularly for statewide office, you’d have more insight into the courage and dedication it takes to do so. Plus, where exactly on the Lt. Governor’s job description is it specified that candidates who’ve not held prior office need not apply? How exactly is it ‘not decent’ to run for public office? Do you really mean that?

  9. Your mixing apples and oranges. Yes, our Lt. Govs have had day jobs. What does that have to do with whether Ms. Cass used this campaign to actually GET a job? Both Dean and Dubie had their jobs before they ran for office. So much for your “facts.”

  10. What exactly is wrong with responsible contingency planning? Would you rather have someone panhandling the day after a losing election? Since when is it a conflict of interest to interview for a job? Have you even bothered to listen to Cass speak or read what’s been written about her? Everyone would agree that she is very bright and quite articulate and not to mention dedicated. Plus, her morale is not yet beaten down by folks who are just angry they don’t have the courage to do what she’s doing. Vermont needs more folks like her.

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