Early Political Career
Aiken served as school director of Putney from 1920 to 1937. A Republican, he unsuccessfully ran for the Vermont General Assembly in 1922. However, eight years later, he was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives, serving from 1931 to 1935. Three preceding generations of his family had also served in the state legislature. As a state representative, he became known for his opposition to the private power companies over the issue of flood control. Aiken was elected as Speaker of the House in 1933, over the opposition of the Republican establishment. As Speaker, he passed the Poor Debtor Law to protect people who could not pay their obligations during the Great Depression.
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