Tom Blakely

Tom Blakely is the Democratic candidate for the Vermont House of Representatives, Bennington-5 District, in the November 3, 2026 general election.[1][2] A retired information technology professional and business owner, he said in a Ballotpedia survey that his priorities include health care costs, affordable energy and housing.[1][3]

Tom Blakely earned a high school diploma from Ansonia High School, an associate degree from Florida Community College at Jacksonville in 1977 and a bachelor's degree from the University of North Florida in 1979, and he also attended Emory University.[1] In a Ballotpedia survey, he said he retired from a career in information technology in 2022 after working as an employee and consultant and starting several businesses, including a retail wine store, and that he was named Jacksonville, Florida, Small Business Leader of the Year in 2006.[3]

Blakely said in the survey that he moved to Vermont 11 years ago and lives in Bennington, where he serves on the Town of Bennington Historic Preservation Commission and is a member of the Bennington Rotary and the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce.[3] He identified the cost of medical care and insurance, affordable and reliable energy including solar, wind and geothermal, and housing and education for working Vermonters among his priorities.[3]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.