 He cited fiscal responsibility and the need to provide more opportunities to young Vermonters as his top priorities during the campaign.On November 2, 2010, Degree defeated one-term incumbent State Representative Jeff Young by 243 votes to secure one of the two seats in the district.When he took office on January 5, 2011, at 25 years old, he was the second youngest member of the Vermont General Assembly and the youngest Republican serving in the Legislature.