For Dean Roy, class president just wouldn’t do. He had higher aspirations.
The 14-year-old high school freshman will be the first candidate for governor under age 18 to appear on the state’s general election ballot.
His resume lists working as a legislative page at the Vermont Statehouse.
“I don’t expect necessarily to win,” the student at Stowe High Schoo 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.’”
Roy garnered his spot in the general election by creating his own third party, the Freedom and Unity party. He was able to run because the state constitution sets no minimum age for gubernatorial candidates, requiring only that candidates have resided in the state 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 said in a post on his campaign’s Instagram page. “They’ve been doing this forever and things still aren’t working.”
Most states set minimum age requirements for governor, often 30 years old. In Kansas, lawmakers added a requirement that gubernatorial candidates be at least 25 years old in 2018 after six teenagers sought office.
Peter Teachout, a professor at Vermont Law and Graduate School, gave his take on the situation and Vermont’s constitution.
He pointed to a section in the document that refers to what qualifies someone to be “entitled to the privileges of a voter,” — that they must be 18 years of age. Even under Roy’s interpretation, Teachout doesn’t predict he will come out victorious.
“In theory, a 4-year-old could run for governor. Should we be worried about it? No,” he said. “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.”
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James Carpenter, Roy’s former history teacher, said it’s great that Roy is giving it his all. Carpenter describes Roy as 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,” he said. “I think he blends that youthful optimism with some pragmatism that few kids have.”
Roy said he doesn’t identify with either major party. He added housing is the most important issue facing the state.
If he wins, he’d consider online classes and would do his homework at night after work as governor.
The current governor, Republican Phil Scott, applauds Roy’s interest in politics and public service.
But there is the question of 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,” 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.”
Roy disagrees his age is a factor.
“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,’” he 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.”
