A teenager from Stowe, Vermont, is hoping to make history at the top of his state’s political ladder. Dean Roy, a 14-year-old freshman at Stowe High School, has launched a campaign for governor in Vermont, one of the few states that does not set a minimum age to run for the office.
“I know it sounds crazy, a 14-year-old running for governor,” Roy said in a video shared on Instagram on Nov. 11. “But honestly, look at the people in charge right now. They’ve been doing this forever and things still aren’t working.”
Roy is urging Vermonters to “try something new,” adding, “I’m not pretending that I know everything. But I do know this: Vermont deserves better. And maybe the first step toward real change is taking a chance on something different, even if that change comes in the form of a 14-year-old.”
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His platform centers on affordability and a leaner state government. Roy says he wants to cut taxes for families and small businesses, pursue housing reforms, and oppose incumbent Gov. Phil Scott’s EV mandate — a policy designed to reduce greenhouse emissions by requiring 35% of vehicles delivered to Vermont dealers to be zero-emission. Scott paused that mandate in May.
Roy also pledges “no new restrictions of any kind on guns, construction, or farming,” underscoring his emphasis on what he calls Vermonters’ “personal freedoms.”
Rather than aligning with either major party, Roy is running as a third-party candidate with the Liberty and Union Party, ABC News reported. Born and raised in Vermont, he has already dipped his toes into politics by serving as a legislative page in Montpelier last winter, according to the Stowe Reporter. When he spoke to the outlet in July, he said he hoped to receive a recommendation from Sen. Bernie Sanders for a page position in Washington, D.C.
Roy told the Stowe Reporter last summer that he doesn’t expect to defeat Gov. Scott and understands why some voters question whether someone his age is ready to lead the state. Still, he views this campaign as a way to begin a long-term political career and introduce himself to voters.
Speaking to ABC News, Roy said that if he did somehow win, he would continue his education remotely rather than dropping out of school. “It’d be hard, but I can do it,” he said.
He’s now approaching the 500 signatures required to secure a spot on the ballot, he told ABC News, noting that forming his own party was a strategic move to increase his chances. Not everyone is on board, though. “A few people just say no,” Roy said of his signature-gathering efforts. “Which is totally reasonable. I understand why they do.”
If Roy were to win, he would be the youngest governor in U.S. history. He would not, however, be Vermont’s first teen candidate: in 2018, 13-year-old Ethan Sonneborn ran for governor of the state as a Democrat.
