A high school freshman running for Vermont governor has qualified for the state’s general election ballot, appearing under the label of a political organization he created with his running mate.
The Associated Press reported this week that Dean Roy, a 14-year-old student at Stowe High School and former legislative page, will appear on the November ballot under the Freedom and Unity Party, a label he is using as part of his campaign. Roy is believed to be the first gubernatorial candidate under age 18 to qualify for Vermont’s general election ballot.
Vermont’s constitution does not establish a minimum age requirement for gubernatorial candidates, requiring only that candidates have resided in the state for at least four years. That absence has previously allowed minor candidates to seek the office, though none had successfully advanced to the general election prior to Roy.
Under state law, candidates typically access the general election ballot either by winning a major party primary or by submitting petition signatures as an independent candidate. For statewide offices such as governor, candidates who do not compete in a primary must file nominating petitions with at least 1,000 valid signatures from registered voters to qualify for the ballot.
Candidates pursuing the latter route may also choose to appear on the ballot under a designated label rather than as independents, which can serve as the first step in organizing a new political party.
On his campaign website, Roy states that he is running alongside Charles D. Bass as his nominee for lieutenant governor. He also identifies himself as the founder and current leader of the Freedom and Unity Party, which he says he created with the help of Bass, though he does not outline a formal party platform or provide extensive detail about the organization.
Roy does provide an outline of his own campaign platform, including opposition to restrictions on personal freedoms such as firearm ownership, digital privacy, LGBTQ+ expression, and abortion access. He also calls for consolidating Vermont’s school districts to fewer than five, auditing the state’s health care system, opposing the state’s electric vehicle mandate, and increasing taxes on large corporations to offset local property taxes.
If the campaign earns at least five percent of the vote in its bid, it would allow the Freedom and Unity Party to qualify for recognized status under Vermont law, enabling it to nominate candidates in future election cycles without needing to re-petition for ballot access.
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