A 14-year-old has qualified for Vermont’s gubernatorial ballot, becoming the first candidate under 18 to appear.
Dean Roy, the candidate, said, as per the Associated Press, “I don’t expect necessarily to win. 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.’”
Roy’s former history teacher, James Carpenter, said the campaign “just really shows what type of kid Dean is.”
“He’s very earnest in what he’s doing. There’s no gimmick behind this,” he said. “I think he blends that youthful optimism with some pragmatism that few kids have.”
Republican Governor Phil Scott’s office commended Roy for his effort. “He believes it’s important for our youth to get involved,” said press secretary Amanda Wheeler. “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.”
Peter Teachout, a professor at Vermont Law and Graduate School, commented, “In theory, a 4-year-old could run for governor. Should we be worried about it? No.” He noted, “Vermonters can be a little cantankerous and provocative just for the fun of it, but it is not something they are likely to support in this context.”
According to the AP report, Roy does not identify with a particular party, but believes housing is a major issue in the state.
An eighth grader, Ethan Sonneborn, sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 2018, but finished last in a four-way primary.
