Dubie Puts House Up for Sale, Heads Off to the Woods

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Lt. Governor Brian Dubie is leaving his hometown and headed for the woods — literally.

Dubie tells Seven Days he put his Essex Junction home up for sale and is moving onto the family property he owns up in Fairfield.

The Dubies own several pieces of land: a nearly 100-acre piece of land where they operate a maple sugaring business; two acres with a cabin on it and another 25-acre parcel with a farmhouse. The cabin is valued at $112,000 and the house and 25 acres is valued at roughly $300,000. The sugarwoods is valued at more than $515,000.

The race for governor put on hold a long-range plan to relocate to his family’s property in Fairfield, Dubie said.

“Sugarwoods in Fairfield calls,” Dubie told Seven Days.

In late October, Dubie spoke wistfully about the family's cabin in Fairfield during a WCAX interview.

"It's been a great place for our family to be able to recharge our batteries and focus on what's important in life. And that's family time and that is one of the most special places in the world for our family," Dubie told WCAX.

Perhaps Dubie will be inspired to pen a political memoir or a modern day Walden.

For any family looking for a nice set of digs to raise their kids: The Dubie estate in Essex Junction has it all. The four-bedroom, three-bath, 3100-square-foot house is being offered for $299,900 by Chenette Realty. Nice location, too, on Mansfield Avenue — a quick walk to the public pool and Five Corners. It has a nice-sized yard, a wood stove and a walk-out basement.

Makes sense the Dubies would part with their nest now that all four of their kids are out of the house. For Dubie, it means saying goodbye to the community he's called home since childhood: Dubie grew up in Essex Junction, graduated from Essex High School, and started his electoral career by serving on the village school board before running for lieutenant governor.

No word yet on Dubie's political future, but it wouldn't be the first time a losing candidate for statewide office later rejoined politics by running, and winning, a seat in the Vermont Senate.

Governor-elect Peter Shumlin lost the race for lieutenant governor to Dubie in 2002 and returned to the senate in 2006 when he was elected president pro tem. U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) lost the race for governor in 1990 and disappeared from elective office until 2002 when he was appointed to the Vermont Senate. In 2003 he was elected president pro tem and in 2006 was elected to Congress.

Comments

[giant]

Enough with printing the personal info of Dubie. I didn't vote for the guy, but come on, let it go Shay. The price of his house, the values, it's just rude. Some might say muckracking. Why does it matter what his land or his cabin is worth? What difference does it make what the offering price of his house in Essex is? Why is that important or newsworth? I'm dying to find out.

[matt Trottley]

I totally agree.

[Penny Chevalier]

If I was selling a house I'd love a free feature in Seven Days to help move it. Politician lifestyles are fair game, and real estate disclosure is part of it. I'm not a Dubie fan, but knowing he's willing to live up in Fairfield makes me like him a lot more than I did.

If you're not interested in certain information, skim over it, as I do.

[kidglovescuzhesadem]

"Politician lifestyles are fair game"

Then it sounds like there may be a lot more to hear about Shumlin than we have heard so far. I'm waiting . . .

[Jimmy]

You're waiting in the wrong place KGCHAD