This commentary is by Josie Leavitt, the outgoing Democratic representative for the Grand Isle-Chittenden district in the Vermont House of Representatives.I am one of the 15 incumbent Democrats who lost their seat in the November election. I am, and will always be, a Democrat. But, one of the things that saddens me the most about losing my seat is not being able to vote for independent Rep. Laura Sibilia for speaker of the House.My two years in the Statehouse taught me a few things about what I want in a speaker. I want a speaker who is passionate and shows it. I want a speaker who inspires. My work with Laura has shown me she is these things, which is why I had pledged my support to her in October.I think Laura being an independent is actually a huge plus. Not beholden to party politics, Rep. Sibilia could run a Statehouse based on what is best for all Vermonters. Another plus is Rep. Sibilia continuing to do what she’s done: work across the aisle and include Republicans, Progressives and other independents to craft bills that reflect more than just one party’s ideas. Being a rural representative matters greatly to me. Too often it seems Democratic leadership is based in Vermont’s population centers.READ MORE Working with Laura in the Rural Caucus, which she co-chaired with a Democrat and a Republican, I saw firsthand her passion for protecting rural lifestyles and landscapes while navigating the many voices that chimed in about everything the Rural Caucus did.More important than these things, I want a speaker who speaks out. Laura has promised weekly press conferences. She will be in a position to call upon Republicans, Democrats, Progressives and independents to come to the table and get the work done for Vermonters, and to call out any deliberate spreading of misinformation. We need legislative leadership from someone who already has a proven history of being able to work with our governor. Rep. Sibilia is that person. She has the chance to actually achieve something that’s never been done before in our history: being an independent speaker of the House beholden only to Vermonters and not a political party. Read the story on VTDigger here: Rep. Josie Leavitt: Rep. Laura Sibilia should be the next speaker of the House.