Leadership + Results

Senator Dave Weeks — Vermont Senate, Rutland County

Rutland County State Senator Dave Weeks won his August 2026 primary election and is running for re-election to the Vermont Senate in November 2026. First elected in 2022 and re-elected in 2024, Dave represents the people of Rutland County — from his hometown of Wallingford to his current home in Proctor — working on economic development, education, and accountable government for Vermont.

Serving Rutland County in the Vermont Senate

Senator Weeks holds key leadership roles in the Vermont Legislature:

  • Vice Chairman, Senate Economic Development Committee — supporting Vermont jobs, small businesses, and workforce growth

  • Senate Education Committee — strengthening Vermont schools and opportunities for our students

  • Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (LCAR) — ensuring state agency rules stay accountable to Vermonters

  • Joint Information Technology Oversight Committee — bringing transparency to how the state spends taxpayer dollars on technology

  • School Construction Task Force — addressing Vermont's urgent school infrastructure needs

A Proven Executive Fighting for Vermont

Before serving in the Vermont Senate, Dave spent 35 years as a Fortune 500 aerospace program leader — a career managing multi-billion-dollar projects on time and on budget. He brings that same discipline to state government: finding waste, delivering results, and holding bureaucracy accountable.

Dave's career delivering complex, high-stakes projects included:

  • NATO's continent-wide Air Command and Control System, strengthening the air defense network protecting Europe

  • Modernization of the Patriot missile defense system, the world's most sophisticated surface-to-air defense platform

  • Airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems for national security missions

  • National border protection programs, integrating advanced sensor networks and command-and-control technology

Working across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East, Dave learned to deliver results in demanding environments with fixed budgets and no room for failure — experience Vermont taxpayers deserve in their state senators.

Why Dave Weeks for Rutland County

Dave Weeks fights for Rutland County families on the issues that matter: growing the local economy, funding our schools, rebuilding our infrastructure, and making Montpelier live within its means.

Vote Dave Weeks for Vermont Senate — Rutland County, November 3, 2026.

A man wearing glasses with a bald head, dressed in a brown blazer, white shirt, and khaki pants, standing outdoors in front of green foliage.

Dave at the Kuwait border before crossing into Iraq on the morning of the invasion, 2003

Dave conducting Marine infantry operations in the Arctic on the north cape of Norway, 1984

Third ship in Dave’s Navy career, the USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51), a Aegis destroyer with its precommissioning crew

A Lifetime of Service

  • Dave Weeks' commitment to serving others began decades before his election to the Vermont Senate. A 31-year military veteran, Dave rose from Marine Corps infantry Corporal to Navy Captain — a career spanning enlisted leadership and senior naval command.

    United States Marine Corps

    Dave's service began at Parris Island, followed by infantry specialty training at Camp Lejeune and Arctic mountain warfare qualification with 1st Battalion, 25th Marines.

    United States Navy — Surface Warfare Officer

    As a commissioned Navy officer, Dave served aboard cruisers, destroyers, and amphibious assault ships, including:

    • Commissioning crew of the USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) — built in Bath, Maine, and named for a fellow Vermonter, Admiral Arleigh Burke

    • Forward-deployed Aegis cruiser in Yokosuka, Japan — serving with Naval Forces Japan

    • Naval Special Warfare Command — supporting special operations with combat craft and surveillance units

    • Mobile Security Squadron and coastal gunboat units

    • Deployments with the Sixth Fleet in Bahrain and Amphibious Group Three detachments

    Iraq Veteran

    Dave deployed in support of operations in Iraq — service recognized by the State of Vermont with the Vermont Distinguished Service Medal and the Vermont Veteran's Medal.

    Serving Vermont's Veteran Community

    Dave remains active in Rutland County's veteran community:

    • American Legion Post 52, Wallingford — Member

    • VFW Post 648, Rutland — Life Member

    • Navy League — Life Member

    • Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America — Member

    Neither military information nor photographs of Dave in uniform imply endorsement by the Department of Defense or its particular military departments.

Rooted in Vermont

Dave Weeks' story begins in Wallingford, Vermont, in a family dedicated to service.

Following His Father's Example

Dave is the son of Captain Bob Weeks, U.S. Navy — a submarine skipper who went on to represent Wallingford as a Vermont State Legislator. From his father, Dave learned the values that guide him today: love of country, devotion to community, and a belief that public service is a responsibility to be earned, not a privilege to be exploited.

Family

Dave is married to Dr. Leeanne Wootten, PhD, who has served as Head of School at international schools around the world. Together they have four children:

  • Jacob — a Certified Public Accountant working in the life sciences industry

  • Sarah — a Physician Associate (PA) serving patients in health care

  • Mitch — a music producer

  • Cassandra — an undergraduate student

From his home in Proctor to the neighborhoods of Rutland County he represents, Dave Weeks brings the lessons of a lifetime of family and service to the Vermont Senate.

Two people, a man and a woman, stand together in a desert landscape with sand dunes in the background during sunset or sunrise. The man wears glasses and a green cap, smiling at the camera. The woman wears sunglasses and a blue and white checked shirt, holding her hand near her face.

Dave with his wife, Leeanne.

An elderly man and woman stand together indoors in a formal setting, with a large portrait hanging on the wall behind them and red curtains on a window.

Parents Captain Bob and Gerry Weeks, US Navy (Retired) and former VT Legislator.

UVM logo with a green university tower or clock tower depicted below the letters.
The official seal of U.S. Army War College featuring an eagle, shield, and banner with the Latin words 'Prudens Futuri'.
Red background with white text reading 'King's College London'
NATO logo with a compass rose symbol on a dark background
The emblem of the University of San Diego, featuring a shield with various symbols and a surrounding gold and red border with the university's name and founding year, 1949.
Villanova University logo with a large letter V and the word Villanova above it on a dark blue background.
United States Army Chemical Corps emblem featuring a blue background, yellow circle border, and a central insignia with two yellow jerry cans crossed behind a hexagon with a chemical weapon symbol.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA logo featuring an eagle, shield, and branches.

Educated to Lead

Dave Weeks never stopped learning. From a Vermont high school classroom to graduate studies on three continents, Dave built the education to solve big problems — and he puts it to work for Rutland County every day in the Vermont Senate.

Vermont Roots, Vermont Education

  • University of Vermont — Degree in Political Science and Computer Science

  • Mill River Union High School — graduate, Wallingford area

Advanced Degrees

  • Master of Business, Project Management — University of San Diego

  • Master of Public Administration, Certificate in City Management — Villanova University

  • Master of National Security and Strategic Studies — U.S. Army War College

  • Doctoral studies in National Security Policy — King's College London

Advanced Professional Training

  • FEMA Incident Management (national and local levels)

  • NATO Command and Control operations

  • U.S. Army Chemical Corps — defense and decontamination

  • 3D Negotiations, Six Sigma, and ISO certification

  • U.S. Navy specialties: Aegis combat systems, gas turbine engineering, damage control, surveillance and security operations

Vermont Outdoorsman

Dave Weeks isn't just a politician who likes Vermont — he lives here. When Dave isn't serving in Montpelier, you'll find him doing the things that matter to Rutland County families: maintaining trails on our mountains, riding snowmobiles through the backroads, and enjoying the outdoors that make Vermont special.

Outdoor Recreation

  • Hiking and Trail Maintenance — Active member of the Green Mountain Club, Killington Section, working to preserve Vermont's trail systems

  • Scuba Diving — Wreck Diver, Nitrox, Deep Diver, and Advanced Open Water certified

  • Snowmobiling — Member of VAST (Vermont Association of Snow Travelers) and Shrewsbury Sno-Birds

  • Marksmanship — U.S. Marine Corps trained, safety-focused shooter

  • Skiing — Downhill, cross-country, and telemark

  • Snowshoeing — Winter trail exploration throughout Rutland County

  • Kayaking — Lake, river, and coastal waters

  • Archery

  • Sailing and Small Boating

Local Ties

Dave's commitment to Vermont's outdoor heritage runs deep. Through his membership in the Green Mountain Club and local snowmobile clubs like the Shrewsbury Sno-Birds, he stays connected to the land and the communities that protect it.

Three people with mountain bikes outdoors in a green, hilly landscape under a partly cloudy sky. The central person is wearing a black helmet and shirt, and the other two are young adults, one female and one male, both with backpacks and arm and leg safety gear.
A person in winter gear sitting on a snowmobile in a snowy forest, smiling, with a backpack and other gear nearby.
The logo of Green Mountain Club Long Trail Vermont, established in 1910, featuring green and beige text and a horizontal arrow.
Boy Scouts of America emblem featuring an eagle with an American flag shield, wings spread, on a fleur-de-lis background with red, white, and blue colors.

Committed to Our Community

Dave Weeks doesn't just represent Rutland County — he serves it. Long before his election to the Vermont Senate, Dave was volunteering, coaching, and leading in the organizations that keep our region strong.

Regional Leadership

  • Rutland Regional Medical Center — Board of Directors member, helping guide the region's largest health care provider

  • Rutland Regional Airport Committee — Legislative member, supporting local aviation and economic infrastructure

  • Chamber and Economic Development of the Rutland Region (CEDRR) — member, working to grow Rutland County's economy

Investing in Our Youth

Dave has spent decades investing in the next generation:

  • Scouting — Eagle Scout (Class of 1976) whose decades of leadership include Council Executive Board, District Commissioner, Scoutmaster, Philmont expedition Scoutmaster, National Jamboree Scoutmaster, and the Eagle Scout Alumni Association Board

  • Youth Soccer — Coach and certified referee

  • Little League Baseball — Umpire

Preserving Our Heritage and Trails

  • Green Mountain Club — trail maintenance volunteer

  • Pittsford, Fair Haven, Shrewsbury, and Poultney Historical Societies — member

  • Crown Point Road Association — member, helping preserve the historic colonial route through Rutland County

  • West Rutland Carving Studio & Sculpture Center — student, supporting the arts in our community

Civic and Fraternal Organizations

  • Loyal Order of Moose, Rutland Lodge 1122 — member

  • Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance (VOBA) — member

  • Phi Mu Delta, Nu Gamma Chapter — alumnus and past president

  • Maritime Museum and Military Vehicle Preservation Association — member