There is a long tradition of athletes turning to politics at the end of their playing days. Dave Bing made the transition from Detroit Pistons Hall of Famer to the mayor of Detroit. After a 16-year pitching career in Philadelphia and Detroit, Jim Bunning signed as a free agent in Washington, becoming a Republican senator from Kentucky. The list goes on from there. The list of athletes who chose to take a break from, or even end, their playing career to focus on politics is much shorter. That unorthodox act is what Calvin McEathron, a junior pitcher at Middlebury, is aiming to do with his campaign to be one of Middlebury’s two representatives in the Vermont State Legislature.
McEathron grew up on a farm 10 minutes outside of Montpelier, the state capital, and credits that close proximity to the state’s political center, combined with Vermont’s refreshingly open legislative process, with first sparking his interest in politics. “I spent a lot of time in the State House in high school,” McEathron told me over several manuscripts in his cubicle at Middlebury’s library. “It’s nice to be able to walk right into the state house and hear the debates for yourself.”
During his high school career at U-32 in Montpelier, McEathron was involved in several political issues, most notably the heated debate over nuclear power plant Vermont Yankee. As part of an independent study, McEathron worked with several state legislators to craft a position paper, and ultimately wrote his own plan for how to deal with the controversial plant.
With this experience under his belt, McEathron feels that he’s more than ready to represent the people of Middlebury. According to Mceathron, “the overarching theme of [his] campaign is bringing a new direction to Montpelier.” There is a serious shortage of youth in the Vermont State Legislature, which is among the oldest in the country. He aims to keep the young workforce, which is exiting Vermont as soon as after high school, in the state by focusing on small businesses and young entrepreneurs, and improving the infrastructure of the state to benefit them.
This ideal of a more open, youth-friendly Vermont lends itself very well to discussion, which is another central tenant of McEathron’s campaign. He has spent the entire summer on Middlebury’s campus, doing a combination of research and good old-fashioned canvassing. “As a young candidate I need to be the most prepared, because people look at your age as a detractor most of the time,” McEathron noted. All three of McEathron’s opponents are much older, and incumbent Betty Nuovo has 28 years of experience, also known as eight more years of experience in Montpelier than McEathron has on Earth. If McEathron were to win the race, he would be younger than any state legislator currently in office in the United States.
McEathron believes that he has to be able to speak on any issue that will come up in the next term, so his research has been expansive. But more important to him than the research is the face-to-face aspect of his campaign. He hopes to have knocked on the door of every voter in Middlebury by Election Day, November 4. “Another great thing about Vermont politics,” he notes, “is that it’s not a money-based campaign. Getting out there and talking to the voters is much more important.”
McEathron will be taking the fall semester off from school in order to fully focus on the campaign, and if elected, he will leave Middlebury College until his term ends in order to make the people of Middlebury his absolute priority.
He also credits his high school and college sports experiences for shaping his political ideals. “In sports” he begins, already reaching for another old newspaper article, “leadership is a crucial factor in creating a successful team, and sometimes it takes a leader who is a little unorthodox to really get things done.”
For more information on McEathron and his platform or to donate, visit http://www.calvinformiddlebury.com/home.html, and follow the campaign at @calvinformidd.