Sen. Debbie Ingram (D-Chittenden) announced Wednesday that she will run for lieutenant governor.

Ingram, who told Seven Days last week that she was "leaning towards" joining the race, confirmed her plans in an email.

"Since the LG post is mostly a 'create your own adventure' kind of job, with few designated duties, it is the perfect platform to listen to people and to bring them together — two practices we don’t see enough of in our society today," she wrote.

An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and executive director of Vermont Interfaith Action, Ingram was first elected to the Senate in 2016. The Williston resident previously served on her town’s selectboard.

If elected, Ingram said, she would advance policy goals that Vermonters want: affordable housing and health care, good jobs, and a "better life for their children." She has also championed several racial justice issues — including the ongoing effort to amend Vermont's constitution clarifying the prohibition on slavery. She supports strengthening the state's gun laws, raising the minimum wage, and initiating a paid family and medical leave program.

"I have the skills and experience to bring everyday Vermonters into the law-making process so that they feel heard and respected, by each other and by legislators and the administration," Ingram said.

She enters an increasingly crowded field of candidates who have lined up to succeed Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, who is running for governor.

Last week, Ingram's seatmate, Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Ashe (D/P-Chittenden) announced he would run for LG. Three other candidates from outside the Statehouse have already shared plans to run: Meg Hansen, a Republican who has led Vermonters for Health Care Freedom; Molly Gray, a prosecutor with the Attorney General's Office; and Brenda Siegel, who finished third in the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary.

Ingram's plans confirm that there will be at least two open seats in the Chittenden Senate District. Several candidates, including state Rep. Dylan Giambatista (D-Essex Junction) and former legislator Kesha Ram, have already announced their candidacies for seats in that district. 

 Disclosure: Tim Ashe is the domestic partner of Seven Days publisher and coeditor Paula Routly. Find our conflict-of-interest policy here: sevendaysvt.com/disclosure.