Stu, VT– Looking back, gubernatorial candidate Dean Roy says his political ambitions began in eighth grade. By this he means last year.
After working as a legislative page in the Vermont State House, the 14-year-old freshman at Stowe High School now has his sights set on the corner office. In November, he will be the first gubernatorial candidate under the age of 18 to appear on the state’s general election ballot.
“I don’t necessarily expect to win,” he said. “What I expect is to start a movement, and to have more young people come after me and say: ‘Yes, we also want to make a change’.”
Another eighth-grader, Ethan Sonneborn, sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 2018, but finished last in a four-way primary. Roy secured his place in the general election by creating his third party, the Freedom and Unity Party. Both were able to run because the state constitution does not specify a minimum age for gubernatorial candidates, only requiring that candidates have resided in the state for four years.
“I know it sounds crazy for a 14-year-old to run for governor, but honestly, look at the people in charge right now,” Roy said in a post on his campaign page on Instagram. “They’ve been doing this forever and it still doesn’t work out.”
Almost all other states set a minimum age for governor, which is often 30 years. In Kansas, lawmakers added a requirement that gubernatorial candidates be at least 25 years old in 2018 after… Six teenagers He ran for office.
Peter Teachout, a professor at the Vermont College of Law and Graduate Studies, has a different view than Roy on the Vermont Constitution. He refers to a section in the document that indicates what qualifies a person to be “eligible for voter privileges,” which is that he must be 18 years old. Even with Roy’s explanation, Teachout doesn’t expect the teen to win.
“Theoretically, a 4-year-old could run for governor. Should we be worried about that? No,” he said. “Vermontese can be a bit rowdy and provocative just for fun, but they are unlikely to support that in this context.”
But James Carpenter, Roy’s former history teacher, said he thought it was great that Roy was going all out. Although most 14-year-olds don’t care about property taxes or health care, Carpenter describes Roy as an “old soul” with endless curiosity.
“It really shows what kind of kid Dean is. He’s very serious about what he does. There’s no gimmickry behind this,” he said. “I think he mixes that youthful optimism with a certain realism that few kids have.”
Roy, who said he is not affiliated with either major party, said housing is the most important issue facing the state. He has also thought about how to juggle school with a full-time job as a prefect, saying he is considering taking online classes and will do his homework at night after work.
The current governor, Republican Phil Scott, praises Roy’s interest in politics and public service, but questions whether someone so young is ready to take on the responsibilities that come with running a state.
“He believes it’s important for our young people to get involved,” press secretary Amanda Wheeler said. “But the governor also believes the teen may not be the best fit to serve in this role given the lack of experience and life perspectives young people have at that point in their lives.”
Roy disagrees with the view that age has anything to do with how qualified a candidate is to run for office.
“What I’m aiming for is for these career politicians to look at me and say, ‘Oh my God, he actually has an opportunity to disrupt things,'” he said. “If I can make people think I’m a threat to them, then I know it’s a success. Because what I want is to show them that young people have a voice. We will make a difference. The future is now.”
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Associated Press reporter Holly Ramer contributed to this report from Concord, New Hampshire.