Mari Cordes is a Democratic representative for Addison-4 in the Vermont House, seat number 89. A registered nurse born March 26, 1959, in Rochester Hills, Michigan, she is identified as LGBTQ+ and has lived in Vermont since bicycling through the state after college, drawn by its beauty and community. She raised two daughters and granddaughters on a family farm, working as a mason tender, organic vegetable farmer, and draft horsewoman. As a front-line nurse and legislator, she has advocated for healthcare justice, disaster relief, and progressive policies.

Education

Mari Cordes earned a B.S. in Natural Resource Management, Economics, and Policy from the University of Michigan. In 1988, she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a nursing degree from Vermont College.

Political Experience

Elected as a progressive Democrat for Addison-4, Cordes served six years in the Vermont House, introducing and passing bills on water quality, municipal network geothermal, banning the trans panic defense, and holding pharmacy benefit managers accountable to protect independent pharmacies and lower drug costs. Prior to election, she was founding organizer and second president of the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals , leading coalitions for paid sick leave , universal healthcare, ending insurance discrimination based on gender identity , and stronger oversight of for-profit hospital buyouts. She served on the Green Mountain Care Board Advisory Council, Consumer Health Care Council, and Future of Nursing Commission, and co-led a nationally recognized project reducing central line infections at UVM Medical Center.