Fourteen-year-old Dean Roy from Stowe, Vermont, has launched an unusual bid for governor, taking advantage of the state’s no-age rule for the office. The high school freshman, inspired by his legislative page experience, has secured 500 ballot signatures. His mixed liberal–conservative platform and newly formed Freedom and Unity Party reflect Vermont’s independent political culture.

Fourteen-year-old Dean Roy, a student at Stowe High School, is attracting attention across the state of Vermont after casting an unexpected bid for Governor, an opportunity that is unique to Vermont because it has no minimum age requirement to run for that office. Dean has lived in Stowe his entire life, so he meets the state's only requirement for the Governor, which is that he must have resided in Vermont for at least four years. Vermont is located in the northeastern US, in the New England region.

Dean is described as a very typical teenager. He participates in cross-country running, does Nordic skiing during the winter months, and taps maple trees to make maple syrup with his family. He's also an avid fan of Formula 1 auto racing and supports Fernando Alonso. Dean's interest in politics began last year when he worked as a page in the Vermont legislature.

Dean's teacher in eighth grade joked about managing a campaign for him; this sparked his curiosity about the possibility of running, and he began to research the requirements to run for Governor. The results of his research were that he could run for Governor of Vermont immediately, as per the FP report.

How His Campaigns Evolved

With a viral Instagram video announcing his candidacy in July, Roy could be seen walking around his local community in Vermont, while also holding a podcast microphone in his hand. Throughout the summer, his parents took him to the local post office, where he obtained the 500 signatures to qualify for the 2026 Ballot. Due to his age, he is unable to sign the paperwork until after the upcoming winter break, but he will take care of the paperwork once he is allowed. His running mate is a freshman in high school as well, and four of his close friends are also working with him.

His Platform Merges Liberal and Conservative Ideologies

Roy's views are different from other young political candidates in that his views on some issues are similar to those of liberal candidates, whereas his views on other issues are more aligned with conservative candidates.

According to the FP report, Roy’s positions break the typical youth-candidate mould. He supports LGBTQ and abortion rights but advocates lowering property taxes, raising taxes on short-term rentals, and cutting school districts from more than 100 to five.

His newly developed Freedom and Unity Party was developed in response to the unique culture of independence that exists within the State of Vermont.

A Family-Rooted Perspective and Future Plans

As someone who grew up with a family that operates a small pizza shop, Roy has been exposed to many of the conversations about the struggles businesses face, which have helped shape how he views the types of policies that can be implemented. Even though there is a slim chance that he will win an election, his parents believe the experience will help him develop even further personally in terms of future experiences.