Vermont’s youngest gubernatorial candidate makes ballot at age 14

Vermont’s youngest gubernatorial candidate, Dean Roy, is on the general election ballot at age 14.Roy, a freshman at Stowe High School, worked as a legislative page at the Vermont Statehouse before deciding to run for governor, The Associated Press reported Friday. In November, Roy will be the first gubernatorial candidate under age 18 to appear on Vermont’s general election ballot.
“I don’t expect necessarily to win,” Roy said. “What I do expect is to start the movement, and get more young people to come in behind me and say, ‘Yeah, we also want to make change.’”
The last election in which a teen ran for Vermont governor was in 2018, when eighth-grader Ethan Sonneborn sought the Democratic nomination for the office, finishing last in a four-way primary. Roy is on the general election ballot because he created his own third party, the Freedom and Unity Party.
Both teens were able to run because the state constitution does not set a minimum age for gubernatorial candidates, requiring only that they have resided in Vermont for four years.
“I know it sounds crazy, a 14-year-old running for governor, but honestly, look at the people in charge right now,” Roy posted on his campaign’s Instagram page. “They’ve been doing this forever and things still aren’t working.”
Nearly all other states set minimum age requirements for gubernatorial candidates, often 30 years old. In 2018, after six teenagers ran for office, Kansas lawmakers added a requirement that gubernatorial candidates be at least 25 years old.
Roy’s former history teacher, James Carpenter, praised Roy for giving it his all. While most 14-year-olds aren’t concerned with property taxes or healthcare, Carpenter said that Roy is an “old soul” with endless curiosity.
“It just really shows what type of kid Dean is. He’s very earnest in what he’s doing. There’s no gimmick behind this,” Carpenter said. “I think he blends that youthful optimism with some pragmatism that few kids have.”
Roy said he doesn’t identify with either major political party, and believes that housing is the most important issue facing his state. He also said that he would juggle school with a full-time job as governor by possibly taking online classes and doing his homework at night after work.
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott’s (R) office applauded Roy’s interest in politics, but questioned whether someone so young is ready for the responsibilities that come with running a state.
“He believes it’s important for our youth to get involved,” Scott’s press secretary, Amanda Wheeler, said. “But the Governor also believes that a teenager may not be best suited to serve in that role given the lack of experience and lived perspectives youth have at that point in their lives.”
Roy disagrees that age is a factor regarding whether a candidate is fit to run for office.
“What I’m aiming for is that these career politicians look at me and they say, ‘Oh my God, he actually has a chance to disrupt things,’” Roy said. “If I can get people to think that I am a threat to them, then I know that’s been a success. Because what I want is to show them that the youth have a voice. We’re gonna make change. The future is now.”

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