'Passing of an era': Vermont's longest-serving senator resigns, citing health issues

On Monday, April 8, Vermont’s long-serving state senator, Dick Mazza, resigned from his post effective immediately, citing “health reasons.”

Prior to stepping down, Mazza, a Democrat, had represented Colchester and Grande Isle County in the Statehouse for over 42 years, with 39 spent as a senator and three as a representative. In subsequent statements honoring his legacy, Mazza's fellow legislators described him as one of the state's most impactful and influential lawmakers.

In his resignation letter to Gov. Phil Scott, Mazza explained that his health concerns – which Seven Days said could be attributed to his cancer diagnosis last year – had left him no longer able to “provide the quality of service and dedication I have always given to my constituents and the State of Vermont.”

“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 said.

While in office, Mazza filled a variety of roles, including the dean of the Senate, chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Institutions, and the third member of the Committee on Committees.

“It would be difficult to find a Vermonter who has been more impactful, committed or dedicated to public service over the past four decades than Senator Dick Mazza,” Scott wrote in a press release about the lawmaker’s departure.

Mazza leaves behind legacy of bipartisan leadership

After Mazza’s resignation, many colleagues praised him for his decades-long “commitment to bipartisanship” – both professionally and interpersonally.

Scott, for instance, considers Mazza a friend and mentor. The governor recalled that Mazza “immediately took me under his wing” when the now-governor joined the state Senate 24 years ago.

“It didn’t matter that I was a Republican and he was a Democrat,” Scott said. "He put his faith and trust in me, as I did with him. He hasn’t left my side in the two decades since.”

President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth lauded Mazza’s bipartisan efforts while serving as the third member of the Committee on Committees.

This committee position “required representing all members of the Senate, regardless of party,” Baruth said. “In that role, he advocated for every senator, and preserved order in his own signature low-key way.”

U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, who served in the Vermont Senate, labeled Mazza’s willingness to work across the political aisle as a “gift” that has set a “very high bar” for present and future legislators.

Scott pointed to Mazza’s nickname as the “Conscience of the Senate” as evidence of the senator’s virtue and impact, which he said is a “perfect summary of the man he is.”

“He knows when to speak up, and when to do so deliberately,” Scott wrote. “And when he does, everybody listens. Senator Mazza has had the unique ability to command the respect and attention of his fellow senators and beyond.”

Mazza’s decision to step down “truly marks the passing of an era,” Baruth said.

Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont state Sen. Dick Mazza resigns, praised by Gov. Phil Scott