14-Year-Old Candidate Dean Roy Discusses Running for Vermont Governor

Campaigning on Change and Experience

• 💡 Dean Roy, a 14-year-old candidate for Vermont Governor, argues that change is needed and that voters should look beyond his age to his message.
• 🎯 He believes that unconventional candidates can bring necessary change and that voters should focus on the message behind the campaign rather than the candidate's age.

Key Platform Issues: Housing Affordability

• 🏠 A central issue for Roy's campaign is housing affordability, noting that houses in Vermont are over $500,000, which is a significant barrier for younger generations.
• 📈 To address this, he proposes increasing taxes on Airbnbs and short-term rentals to free up market supply and encourage homeowners to sell.
• 🚫 Roy also advocates for completely scrapping Act 250, a set of environmental and permitting regulations, arguing it hinders new housing development and was written for a different era.

Education Reform and Tax Reduction

• 🎓 Roy supports consolidating Vermont's numerous education districts, citing Governor Phil Scott's proposal to reduce over 110 districts to five.
• 💰 He believes this consolidation could generate approximately $100 million, which could be used to lower taxes in Vermont, currently the fourth highest in the U.S., particularly for middle and lower-income residents.

Motivation for Running

• 🏛️ Roy's interest in politics was sparked when he served as a page at the state house during his eighth-grade winter, leading him to research political issues.
• 🤝 He was encouraged to run by a teacher who offered to be his campaign manager if he decided to pursue the governorship.