When I wrote earlier this week about Jim Ramsey’s imminent departure from the Vermont Democratic Party, I didn’t think to check in on party finances. Not until someone suggested that I do so, and boy howdy, did it tell a story.

Ramsey was elected interim chair last February by the VDP state committee. He succeeded David Glidden, who barely managed to last two years in the job. Ramsey made a barnburner of a speech to the state committee and won in a walk over former state senator turned podcaster Andy Julow, thanks in part to the active backing of the party’s top three elected officials: Treasurer Mike Pieciak, Attorney General Charity Clark, and Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas. At the time, State Rep. Kathleen James called Ramsey “the perfect leader” with skills in “the nuts and bolts of fundraising.” James and Ramsey both hail from Manchester, so she may not be the most dispassionate of witnesses.

And if Ramsey brought fundraising skills to the post, there’s no hint in the party’s financials that he ever put them to good use.

Exhibit A: The VDP’s financial disclosure filed with the Secretary of State’s office on July 1. It reveals that the party actually spent more money than it received in the six-and-a-half-month reporting period. On December 13, the party had $56,402 in cash on hand. On July 1, that figure had slipped to $53,482.

Granted, the months after an election are usually a low point for party finances. Donors are tapped out; party staff and officials have been through the wringer. But Ramsey entered in February intent on re-energizing the VDP and laying the groundwork for an all-out effort to beat Gov. Phil Scott next time around. That would require resources aplenty for candidate recruitment, party building, and making a public case against a popular incumbent. Ramsey was presented, and accepted by party brass, as the person who could make that happen.

Exhibit B. A report from party treasurer Deb Berryere, dated September 17, 2025, which landed in my inbox. It paints a somewhat rosier overall picture. From January 1 to August 31, party revenue totaled $227,166, nearly $21,000 more than budgeted; expenses were nearly $10,000 under budget. But there was this curious line under “Highlights”:

In response to requests for more fundraising transparency, under the category “Other Fundraising”, a revenue line was added “Fundraising – Party Chair”, as of August 31st, that line is at $0 against a budgeted (expected) revenue of $6,500.

At the risk of reading too much into this, a couple of questions spring to mind. First, why did some state committee members feel the need for a separate accounting of the party chair’s fundraising? Did they have doubts about the chair’s ability slash dedication? And why did the number come out to zero? That smells like failure to me.

Bottom line, there’s no evidence to suggest Ramsey was effective at improving the VDP’s financial position.

Here’s another tidbit heard on the grapevine. Apparently there were feelers being put out to potential Ramsey successors long before he announced his departure, along with expressions of regret about his selection. Hard to see how that makes sense if party brass were happy with their chair.

VDP leadership has been something of a roach motel for years now. As former executive director Jim Dandeneau told VTDigger when he announced his own departure in January, “This is a job that kind of chews people up and spits people out.” He was speaking about his own job, but the record suggests it applies equally to the post of party chair.

I don;t know if there are any tooth marks on Jim Ramsey, but it seems like his departure may have involved a substantial quantity of metaphorical saliva.

As for the party’s readiness to pursue the governorship in 2026 and regain lost ground in the Legislature, well, the record suggests they’ve got a lot to do and not much time to do it. First thing, they’ll need a new chair who can accomplish what multiple successors have failed to do.