BERLIN - Rep. Pat McDonald (R) (Washington 3-3) has announced that she will run for a Washington County Senate seat in 2010.

Ms. McDonald, who has served in the House since 2007, has also been a local select board member and served in the administration of the last three governors in six appointed positions, to include Secretary of the Agency of Transportation, Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles, Commissioner of Labor and Commissioner of Human Resources.

Ms. McDonald said she will run an energetic campaign focused on the issues most important to Vermonters: growing the economy, creating jobs, reducing property taxes, and ensuring fiscal responsibility in Montpelier. But addressing the state’s faltering economy and current fiscal crisis in the legislative session that begins in January is currently her top priority.

“As a member of the House of Representatives, I am focused on acting this legislative session to strengthen our economy and build a balanced and compassionate budget that does not raise taxes on already overburdened Vermonters,” McDonald said. “There will be plenty of time to focus on an election that’s 11 months away. Right now, we’ve got work to do.”

Ms. McDonald said unemployment is expected to continue to rise, and Vermont is facing a deficit of up to $160 million in the coming fiscal year, as well as an additional deficit of more than $200 million each year for the next three years. “The families of Washington County expect the current Legislature to pass policies that will make Vermont more affordable and generate economic growth and job creation,” she added. “We literally cannot afford to put these issues off until the next election.”

Ms. McDonald also noted that property taxes are on track to go up 26% during the next three years if the Legislature doesn’t take action to find real and sustainable savings in education spending while continuing to improve outcomes and support for teachers. And she highlighted the imminent collapse of the state’s unemployment insurance fund, which threatens to increase taxes dramatically for employers teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

“With challenges like these, the Legislature needs to get to work right away,” McDonald said. “We need to work smarter and we need to be more objective,” she continued. “But the solutions call for more than just short-term restructuring. They require a change of mindset and an ongoing dialogue that constantly examines how we can deliver essential services more efficiently and effectively. Otherwise, our overall economic security and our most vulnerable populations will bear the brunt of Vermont’s fiscal challenges.”