Neale Lunderville

ENOSBURG FALLS -- Although Republican Gov. Jim Douglas has not officially kicked off his re-election campaign for a fourth term as governor, his campaign machinery is already in motion.

Dennise Casey, a political aide to Douglas since his first gubernatorial run in 2002, will begin work as campaign manager today. She packed up her belongings on the fifth floor of The Pavilion last week, wrapping up her tenure as Douglas’ secretary of civic and military affairs. A job described as “butter and guns.”

PolitickerVT.com met up with Casey as the campaign made its first public introduction Saturday at the Enosburg Falls Dairy Days Festival.

Saturday's Dairy Days parade on Main Street in Enosburg Falls: Politicker PhotoENOSBURG FALLS - While boasting a population of a little under 3,000 people most of days of the year, this town just six miles south of the Canadian border can attract more than 15,000 visitors during its annual Dairy Days festival. And amid the parade, cow-milking contest, food and carnival rides, the festival plays host to current and aspiring lawmakers taking part in an opening round of politicking.

Though he was unable to attend this year's event, Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie told PolitickerVT.com last week: "It's the opening salvo to the political season."

Whether holding signs, banners or wearing t-shirts, stickers and buttons, candidates and volunteers made their way down Main Street in the 90-degree heat. Despite the high temperatures spectators lined the parade route, cheering for their candidate of choice and perhaps offering some indication for what's in store down the campaign trail.

Neale Lunderville: Politicker PhotoMONTPELIER -- When Agency of Transportation Secretary Neale Lunderville jokes about having his head in the clouds, the old adage has some truth to it.

Situated upon National Life Drive in Montpelier, the secretary's corner office on the 5th floor of the VTrans headquarters comes complete with a panoramic view of the state's namesake Green Mountains, the golden dome of the statehouse and Lunderville's future home, the Pavilion.

This week, we learned more about rumored shifts in the leadership of the most influential agencies in state government. We learned that Neale Lunderville will be moving from secretary of transportation to secretary of administration. There he will be responsible for passing the Gov. Jim Douglas' budget.

Lunderville cut his teeth on the campaign trail running the Governor's campaigns. But he has ably run the department of transportation. With the scare of the bridge collapsing in Minnesota last year, Lunderville proactively reached out to the press and handled the department's management of the issue extremely well.

Vermont Secretary of Administration Michael K. Smith will leave his post at the end of August, the governor's office announced today.

Gov. Jim Douglas will appoint Vermont Agency of Transportation Secretary Neale Lunderville to fill the vacancy, the Times Argus reports. David Dill, who currently serves as deputy secretary of transportation, will succeed Lunderville at VTrans.