At an age when most youngsters are taking to crime and are not sure of what to do with their lives, 14-year-old secondary school student Dean Roy has made history after securing a place on the ballot in the race for governor of Vermont, United States.
Roy, a student of Stowe High School, is set to become the first candidate under the age of 18 to appear on the state’s general election ballot scheduled for November.
His candidacy is made possible by Vermont’s constitution, which does not stipulate a minimum age for gubernatorial candidates, requiring only that aspirants must have lived in the state for at least four years.
The teenager’s entry into the race follows his earlier experience as a legislative page at the Vermont State House, where he gained exposure to governance and lawmaking.
Despite acknowledging the slim chances of winning, Roy said his ambition goes beyond victory, focusing instead on inspiring youth participation in politics.
“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,’” he said.
To qualify for the ballot, Roy established his own political platform, the Freedom and Unity Party.
His candidacy sharply contrasts with most U.S. states, where minimum age requirements for governors are typically around 30 years. In states like Kansas, lawmakers introduced a 25-year minimum age requirement in 2018 following attempts by teenagers to contest for office.
However, legal experts have raised questions over the interpretation of Vermont’s constitution.
Peter Teachout, a professor at Vermont Law and Graduate School, noted that while the constitution does not specify a minimum age for governor, it defines voter eligibility at 18, casting doubt on whether a minor can legally hold the office.
“In theory, a four-year-old could run for governor. Should we be worried about it? No,” Teachout said, expressing scepticism about the likelihood of such candidates being elected.
Unfazed, Roy maintained that his campaign is about challenging the status quo and encouraging young people to become actively involved in shaping the future.
“I know it sounds crazy, a 14-year-old running for governor, but honestly, look at the people in charge right now. They’ve been doing this forever, and things still aren’t working,” he said in a post on his campaign’s Instagram page.
