David Zuckerman

Early life and education

Born in Boston on August 16, 1971, Zuckerman grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts and graduated from Brookline High School in 1989. His father is Jewish. In 1995, he graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental studies and a minor in chemistry.

Career

State House of Representatives

Prior to serving in the House, he served on the Burlington Electric Commission. Zuckerman ran for the Vermont House of Representatives in 1994 while still enrolled in college and lost by 59 votes. He ran again two years later and become the fourth Progressive Party member to serve in the Vermont House, a seat that he held through 2011.

While in the House, he served for six years on the Natural Resources and Energy Committee as well as six years on the Agriculture Committee, including four as the chairperson. He finished his time in the House of Representatives by serving on the Ways and Means Committee.

Zuckerman considered running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2006 election when Vermont's lone House seat was being vacated by independent Bernie Sanders, who was a candidate for the United States Senate. Zuckerman eventually decided not to run in order to continue serving as Agriculture chairman in the Vermont House.

State Senate

Zuckerman ran for Vermont State Senate from Chittenden County in the 2012 elections and won a seat in this six-member, at-large district. In the Senate, Zuckerman served on the Agriculture and Education committees; he was vice chairperson of Agriculture, and clerk of Education.

In his time in the legislature, Zuckerman was involved in the passage of Vermont's civil union and marriage equality laws, workers' rights legislation, increasing the minimum wage, sustainable (economic and environmental) agricultural policy, cannabis policy reform, election law reform, many renewable energy initiatives, progressive taxation policy as well as universal healthcare.

In January 2014, Zuckerman introduced legislation that would allow for recreational sale and use of cannabis. If passed it would allow for possession of up to two ounces of cannabis, and the cultivation of up to three plants for anyone 21 and over. It would also have the penalty for underage consumption of cannabis be the same as the current penalty for underage drinking.

Lieutenant governor

In 2016, Zuckerman ran for lieutenant governor as a Progressive candidate, earning the endorsement of Bernie Sanders before the August 9 primary. He ran unopposed in the Progressive primary, while simultaneously defeating Vermont House Speaker Shap Smith and Representative Kesha Ram to win the Democratic nomination, and went on to defeat Republican Randy Brock in the general election. Zuckerman was reelected in 2018, defeating Republican Donald H. Turner by a margin of 57% to 39%.

Zuckerman opted not to seek reelection for a third term in 2020, instead running against Republican incumbent governor Phil Scott. He ran with the support of both the Progressive Party and the Democratic Party, but lost to incumbent governor Phil Scott by a margin of 68% to 27% in the 2020 general election.

When Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray opted not to run for reelection in order to run in the Democratic primary for Vermont's open U.S. House seat, Zuckerman announced a third campaign for lieutenant governor in 2022. He won the Democratic primary and the general election in 2022, defeating Republican nominee Joe Benning by a margin of 54% to 43% and becoming only the second person in Vermont history to be elected to serve non-consecutive terms as lieutenant governor. The other is Paul Brigham.

Zuckerman ran for re-election in 2024, but lost to challenger John S. Rodgers, who received a plurality of the vote against Zuckerman, with an initial estimate of 46.2% to 44.6%. Green Mountain Peace & Freedom Party nominee Ian Diamondstone finished third with 3.7% percent of the vote. Because the Constitution of Vermont requires a majority vote for election as lieutenant governor, the Vermont General Assembly voted on January 9, 2025 to determine the winner. Zuckerman conceded the election on November 7, 2024, but did not declare whether he would contest the January legislative election. On January 9, Rodgers was officially elected as the 85th lieutenant governor of Vermont by a vote of 158 to 18.

Agriculture

Beginning in 1999, Zuckerman and his wife, Rachel Nevitt, built a successful organic farm in Burlington's Intervale, a network of a dozen farms located in and serving the city. Zuckerman served on the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee. He is also a member of the Vermont Farm Bureau and the Northeast Organic Farming Association chapter in Vermont.

In 2009, Zuckerman and Nevitt moved their farm to 150 acres (610,000 m2) in Hinesburg where they grow 20 acres (81,000 m2) of vegetables and CBD, and raise 1,000 chickens. Their produce is almost exclusively sold within Chittenden County. They operate a summer community-supported agriculture (CSA) with 275 members and a winter CSA with 125 members, and sell year round at the local Burlington farmers market.

Political positions

Labor

Zuckerman has been an advocate of labor protections such as raising the minimum wage, paid family leave, and increasing protections for workers.

Opposition to Bush administration

On April 25, 2006, Zuckerman introduced a resolution for the Vermont State Legislature to ask the United States Congress to impeach President George W. Bush. The motion failed 87–60 in a roll call vote on April 25, 2007.

Property tax reform

Zuckerman supported a bill to lower property tax rates for households earning less than $200,000 in the 2015–16 session. He also helped pass legislation to model this reform in time for the 2017 session.

Equal pay

Zuckerman was a sponsor of H.440 in 2001, a bill which would require equal pay for equal work.

GMO labeling

In 2014, Zuckerman was the lead Senate author of Vermont's first-in-the-nation GMO food-labeling law.

Vaccines

Zuckerman is critical of the philosophy of mandatory vaccinations, a view that led to scrutiny during the coronavirus pandemic. He has said that he is skeptical about the CDC's position on vaccines due to its purported connections to the pharmaceutical industry, but believes the science of vaccination is sound. He said that he believed that most people should vaccinate their children, but believes in exemptions for medical or religious reasons. He said that some of his constituents had said that vaccines gave their children allergic reactions. He has said that his own daughter is vaccinated.

Opposition to Act 73

After leaving office in January 2025, Zuckerman became a vocal critic of Act 73, a legislative measure aimed at addressing Vermont's affordability crisis. He argued that the law relies excessively on austerity measures that would disproportionately affect working-class Vermonters. He instead advocated for progressive taxation, including higher taxes on wealthy residents and second homeowners, to fund public services such as affordable housing and education.

Zuckerman expressed disappointment over the legislature's failure to pass a proposed bill that would have allocated between US $70 million and US $100 million annually for affordable housing.

He emphasized the importance of addressing economic inequality and called for reforms such as district consolidation and efficiency improvements within the Vermont Agency of Human Services and the Vermont Department of Education to reduce property taxes and improve service delivery.

WDEV radio show

Following his departure from public office, Zuckerman launched a weekly radio program on WDEV, airing Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The show features discussions on current Vermont and national issues, with guests ranging from policy experts and elected officials to community members. The program promotes respectful dialogue across political divides and covers topics such as agriculture, housing, taxation, and civic engagement.

Zuckerman's involvement with WDEV came amid broader changes at the station following its acquisition by Myers Mermel, a former Republican Senate candidate and president of the conservative Ethan Allen Institute. Under Mermel’s leadership, WDEV expanded its programming to include a more progressive and youth-oriented direction, forming partnerships with The Nation magazine and adding new hosts such as Zuckerman.

Zuckerman's show has become a platform for grassroots discourse and civic participation, continuing his commitment to progressive advocacy and public engagement beyond elected office.

Social media engagement

In addition to his radio work, Zuckerman has remained active in Vermont political circles through social media. He regularly uses platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook to share commentary on legislative developments, promote progressive causes, and engage with constituents and activists. His posts often highlight issues including housing, education, labor rights, and climate policy, and he has used these platforms to amplify grassroots campaigns and mobilize support for local initiatives.

Personal life

Zuckerman and his wife Rachel live in Hinesburg, Vermont with their one child, and continue to operate Full Moon Farm.

In 2025, after leaving office, Zuckerman began hosting a segment of WDEV's Vermont Viewpoint.