By Guy Page

Democrat Molly Gray will return to Vermont’s lieutenant governor’s office after defeating incumbent Republican John Rodgers in Tuesday’s election. 

Gray received 190,908 votes, a 61.37% share of all votes cast. Rodgers received 112,688, 36.22% of all votes, according to the Vermont Secretary of State’s election results as of 9:51 AM today, with all 247 voting districts reporting. 

Gray celebrated the victory Wednesday night, thanking supporters, campaign staff, volunteers and voters across all 14 Vermont counties. She said the election represented an opportunity to move beyond the status quo and address the state’s challenges.

“Tonight’s outcome is a rejection of the status quo nationally and here in Vermont, and the start of a small, and urgent window of opportunity to quickly deliver something different,” Gray said in her victory speech.

Gray, a Democrat and former lieutenant governor, said she intends to represent all Vermonters, including those who voted for Rodgers.

She also recognized Rodgers’ 18 years of public service to Vermont, congratulating him on his campaign and thanking him for his work.

“We tried to model what a Lieutenant Governor should be at this moment: Someone who lifts people up rather than tears them down. Someone who brings people together across zip codes, backgrounds, and beliefs, rather than dividing us,” Gray said.

Gray said she campaigned on lowering costs for working families, expanding access to primary care and addressing Vermont’s housing shortage. She said she would work with the Legislature to advance universal primary care and affordable housing while standing with other statewide elected officials to protect what she called Vermonters’ fundamental rights.

The campaign, which lasted 10 months, included more than 1,600 individual donors, staff, interns and volunteers, Gray said. The campaign reported making more than 50,000 calls and sending more than 125,000 text messages.

Gray said the campaign did not accept corporate or corporate PAC contributions and was outraised and outspent during the general election.

Rodgers issued a statement Wednesday congratulating Gray and thanking his supporters.

“Tonight, the voters of Vermont have made their decision, and while this isn’t the outcome we had hoped for, I respect their choice and congratulate Molly Gray on a hard-fought campaign,” Rodgers said. “I wish her the best as she prepares to serve the people of Vermont.”

Rodgers, a fifth-generation Vermonter, farmer and small-business owner, said his time as lieutenant governor had been one of the greatest honors of his life.

He said he had sought to bring common sense to Montpelier and give a voice to Vermonters who feel overlooked.

“I’ve never been someone who follows the party line just because it’s politically convenient,” Rodgers said. “I’ve stood up for what I believe is right, regardless of which side of the aisle it puts me on, and I have no intention of stopping now.”

Rodgers said the challenges facing Vermont remain, including the cost of living, difficulties for young people seeking to build a future in the state, and pressures on farmers, small businesses and rural communities.

“I’m not leaving this fight,” Rodgers said. “I’ll be right here in Vermont, continuing to stand up for the people and the principles I’ve always believed in.”

Gray also acknowledged the campaign of fellow Orange County native Amanda Janoo, whose race for governor remained undecided at the time of Gray’s victory remarks.

“Regardless of the outcome of the Governor’s race, Amanda Janoo has touched something deep in all of us, a desire to be seen, to be heard, to be empowered and involved in the choices that impact our lives, our communities, and this place we are so lucky to call home,” Gray said.

Gray said her return to office follows nearly four years away, during which she raised her child, helped care for her mother and led the Vermont Afghan Alliance.

“When you love Vermont, when you love her people, and when you believe in what her future can be, there is no giving up,” Gray said. “Not when things don’t go your way. Not when things are difficult. Not ever.”

Gray is scheduled to be sworn in Jan. 7, 2027.