STOWE, VERMONT — A 14-year-old freshman at Stowe High School will appear on Vermont's November 2026 general election ballot as the first candidate under age 18 to run for governor in the state. Dean Roy created the Freedom and Unity Party to secure his spot in the general election.

Roy, who previously worked as a legislative page at the Vermont Statehouse, does not identify with either major party. He said that housing is the most important issue facing the state and would consider online classes and do his homework at night after work to juggle school with a full-time job as governor.

"I don't expect necessarily to win," he 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.'"

Vermont's state constitution sets no minimum age for gubernatorial candidates and requires only four years of state residency. The Vermont state constitution requires individuals to be at least 18 years old to be entitled to the privileges of a voter.

In a post on his campaign's Instagram page, Roy wrote, "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."

Amanda Wheeler, press secretary for Governor Phil Scott, addressed the candidacy. "He believes it's important for our youth to get involved. 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," Wheeler said.

Peter Teachout, a professor at Vermont Law and Graduate School, noted the unusual nature of Vermont's constitutional requirements. "In theory, a 4-year-old could run for governor. Should we be worried about it? No. 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," he said.

Nearly all other states set minimum age requirements for governor, often 30 years old. In Kansas, lawmakers added a requirement in 2018 that gubernatorial candidates be at least 25 years old after six teenagers ran for office.

Ethan Sonneborn sought the Democratic nomination for governor of Vermont in 2018. Sonneborn finished last in the four-way Democratic primary for Vermont governor in 2018.