Vermont teen Dean Roy seeks first general election governor ballot under 18

Summary

Dean Roy, a 14-year-old who works within the political system as well as he’s able for his age, has qualified for Vermont’s November general election ballot as the state’s next gubernatorial candidate: a first for the state under age 18. Roy, a freshman at Stowe High School who previously served as a legislative page at the Vermont Statehouse, said his political ambitions began in eighth grade and accelerated after that school-year experience.

Roy expects the campaign to be disruptive even if it does not translate into victory. “I don’t expect necessarily to win,” he told The Associated Press, adding, “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.’” In the AP report, Roy also said he does not identify with either major party.

Roy’s path to the ballot relied on a Vermont constitutional rule that differs from many other states’ age thresholds for governor. The Associated Press reported that Roy secured his spot by creating the Freedom and Unity party, and that both he and the party were able to run because Vermont’s constitution sets no minimum age for gubernatorial candidates beyond requiring four years of residency in the state.

That residency-only structure is a key reason a teen candidate can get on the ballot in the first place—and it also shaped how the idea has resurfaced in Vermont politics. The AP report noted that Ethan Sonneborn, another teen candidate, sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 2018 and finished last in a four-way primary, before Roy created his own party and pursued the general ballot route.

Not everyone reads the constitution the same way. The AP story quoted Peter Teachout, a professor at Vermont Law and Graduate School, saying he pointed to language in the document tied to qualification for voter privileges, which he associated with being 18. Teachout said that even under Roy’s interpretation, he does not predict a win for the teenager, and described Roy’s candidacy as something Vermonters may find “provocative” but not likely to support in that context.

Roy’s supporters emphasized the effort and demeanor they see rather than the age itself. Roy’s former history teacher, James Carpenter, told the AP he thinks it is “great” that Roy is “giving it his all,” describing Roy as an “old soul” with “endless curiosity” and saying there is “no gimmick behind this.”

Roy said housing is the most important issue facing the state. The AP report also described his thinking about how he would handle the burden of being governor alongside school, saying he would consider online classes and do his homework at night after work.

The current governor, Republican Phil Scott, publicly welcomed Roy’s interest in politics but raised doubts about whether a teenager is ready to serve in the role. The AP report said Scott’s press secretary, Amanda Wheeler, told reporters: “He believes it’s important for our youth to get involved,” while also saying that “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 rejected the premise that age should determine fitness for office. In the AP story, Roy said he wants career politicians to see him as a genuine threat to their established approach, telling the Associated Press, “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,’” and adding, “We’re gonna make change. The future is now.”