Becca Balint

Former Lt. Gov. Molly Gray has officially launched her campaign to regain the statewide seat.

If she wins the Democratic primary, Gray would likely face incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. John Rodgers.

Gray previously lost a U.S. House race to Rep. Becca Balint instead of seeking reelection as lieutenant governor.

It's official — former Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, a Democrat, is running for her old statewide seat.

Gray, who served one term as lieutenant governor from 2021 to 2023, told media outlets a few months ago that she planned to make another bid for the role, and Monday marked her official campaign launch, which she held at Nomad Coffee in Burlington.

She framed her decision as a response to "chaos and cruelty from Washington" that, she said, has hit home in Vermont, listing two examples: The Trump administration's immigration policies, which she called "inhumane," and cuts to SNAP and Medicaid funding. She said she wants to help address Vermont's struggles with health care, housing and cost of living.

"I'm running to help protect the fundamental rights of every Vermonter, to lower costs and to make life better for working families," she said in an interview.

The human rights lawyer by training has served as the executive director of Vermont Afghan Alliance, a nonprofit that helps resettle U.S. Afghan allies in the Green Mountain State, since 2023.

Should Gray win the Democratic primary this March, she would likely face incumbent Lt. Gov. John Rodgers, the former Democratic state senator turned Republican, in the Nov. 3 general election.

Gray didn't name Rodgers, who narrowly defeated his Progressive-Democratic predecessor David Zuckerberg in 2024 and courted some controversy as lieutenant governor when he sued his town of Glover over use of a family-owned road.

But the words she did share were pointed:

"Vermonters deserve a lieutenant governor who will fight for them without hesitation," she said. "There are no ceremonial offices. No waiting on the sidelines, no putting your interests first. I'm not afraid to fight for all Vermonters without apology. When Trump comes to Vermont, Vermonters deserve someone who is willing to stick up for them."

Rodgers, as VTDigger noted Monday, has strongly criticized the Trump administration.

"I never supported President Trump, even from a time before he ever ran for political office. I knew about his antics, and I never cared for the man himself. I think his policies are detrimental," he said this past spring to Vermont Public, which noted he was the only Republican to speak against the president at the large "Hands Off" rally at the Statehouse last year.

Looking back on Becca Balint's election, lost House campaign

Gray's second run for lieutenant governor comes with baggage.

In 2021, Gray chose to vie for Vermont's U.S. representative seat, now occupied by Rep. Becca Balint, D-Brattleboro, instead of running for a second term as lieutenant governor in the 2022 elections. Gray seemed the favorite at the beginning of the race, having garnered significant endorsements and donations, but ended up losing to Balint 36% to 60% in the Democratic primary. Balint went on to win on Election Day.

Three years since that election, Gray told the Free Press that Balint is "exactly where she needs to be" and that Vermont is "lucky to have her in Washington."

"She deserves an ally in the lieutenant governor's office," Gray added.

Asked to reflect on her fateful choice to forego re-election, Gray said, "I left office but I haven't stepped back or given up," pointing to her work with Vermont Afghan Alliance, which she argued is helping improve Vermont's workforce, tax base and demographics issues through its support for refugees.

"I will never give up on Vermont or fighting for fundamental rights and working families," Gray said.

Gray has received endorsements from former Gov. Howard Dean and legislative leaders including Senate Pro Tempore Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden Central; Sen. Becca White, D-Windsor, the Senate majority whip; and Rep. Mary-Katherine Stone, D/P-Burlington, the House majority whip, according to a campaign press release.

What would Gray's run for mean for her leadership role at Vermont Afghan Alliance? She told the Free Press she plans to step down as executive director whether or not she returns to the Statehouse, as she intended to serve on an interim basis.

The nonprofit is already seeking her replacement, Gray said.

Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at [email protected].