He's Got My Vote: 14-Year-Old Running for Governor of Vermont

Meet Dean Roy, Vermont's centrist gubernatorial candidate who's so sick of "the people in charge right now" that he launched a new party to spearhead his campaign — and he's also 14 years old.

Echoing the state motto, Dean founded the "Freedom and Unity Party" along with his running mate, fellow Stowe High School student Charles D. Bass. Dean claims it's the fastest-growing party in Vermont.

“I know it sounds crazy, a 14-year-old running for governor," Dean said on X, "but honestly, look at the people in charge right now. They’ve been doing this forever and things still aren’t working." Renewed Right noted last week that "Vermont's Democrat-controlled legislature just spent years driving property taxes through the roof," and "chasing young people out of the state."

"We seriously need new young people in Vermont," Roy said, adding that "our population is aging out. We are a dying state."

Believe it or not, Roy qualified for the November ballot, pitting him against — well, nobody yet. Incumbent Republican governor Phil Scott won his 2024 reelection in a landslide (Vermont governors serve two-year terms), and Democrats have yet to hold their primary, either.

So right now, the field belongs to Roy-Bass.

And, yeah, I kinda buried the lede. Roy is actually on the ballot — he really is eligible to run at age 14, and even made the cut.

"Under Vermont’s Constitution, a gubernatorial candidate must have been a resident of the state for four years before the day of the election," OAN explained last week, "but there is no minimum age requirement."

OAN then dryly added that "this also suggests that a 4-year-old could submit a bid for governor."

Maybe it's just me, but I took that last line as derision, either toward Roy or Vermont's constitution. But I bet the four-year-old would wet himself less often than Presidentish Joe Biden did during his term.

Nope, I'm never ever going to let that one go.

But let's get back to Roy, who, when he isn't doing homework or running for governor, works part-time at his family's pizza place. CBS News even profiled him.

Vermont let a 14-year-old onto the governor’s ballot.

No minimum age requirement. He filed the paperwork, formed his own party, collected signatures, and qualified.

He works at his parents’ pizza shop. His best friend is his running mate.

He takes his driving test before he… pic.twitter.com/kJ2YqyY36M
— Jake (@JakeCan72) April 7, 2026

Here's one of his key policy positions:

I’m running to build a fairer, freer Vermont for everyone. I’ll lower property taxes by taxing short-term rentals and large corporations, saving working families up to 14%. My platform supports education reform, cutting 100+ school districts down to 5 to save $100M.
— Dean (@Roy_ForGovernor) July 9, 2025

Usually, I tell kids his age to either get off my lawn or to mow it. But 14-year-olds who might cut my property taxes? Bring 'em on.

Honestly, though, I'm not here to pick on any of Dean's policy positions, or even to fret that an ambitious young man like him ought to be starting a business rather than spending a life in politics.

The fact is that Vermont could do a whole lot worse than young Dean Roy — and just might.

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