Gray Defeats Rodgers to Return as Vermont Lieutenant Governor

Molly Gray has won the race for Vermont’s lieutenant governor, defeating Republican incumbent John Rodgers by a wide margin on Tuesday. Gray, a human rights lawyer based in Burlington, led Rodgers, a stonemason and cannabis farmer from Glover, 60 percent to 38 percent when approximately 70 percent of the vote had been counted. Rodgers conceded the race via email roughly two and a half hours after polls closed.

Gray previously held the office from 2021 through 2023 before stepping down to pursue an unsuccessful bid for U.S. Congress. She subsequently served as executive director of the Vermont Afghan Alliance, a Burlington nonprofit. Polls conducted by the University of New Hampshire’s Green Mountain State Project predicted the wide margin, noting that Gray surged in support during the final weeks of the campaign.

The candidates campaigned on opposing views regarding affordability, which both identified as the state's primary challenge. Gray proposed raising taxes on high-income residents and second-home owners to fund universal primary care and lower property tax burdens. Rodgers advocated for fiscal restraint, reduced business regulations, and opposed new tax increases. Rodgers argued that the universal primary care plan was too expensive to deliver, while Gray said the role should be used to push back against federal overreach.

The campaign became contentious in late September when Rodgers, trailing in polls and fundraising, intensified his attacks on Gray. He questioned her commitment to the office and raised concerns about conditions at her family’s farm, 4 Corners Farm, in South Newbury. The farm paid a $1,728 fine in early 2025 for violations. Gray described the criticism as a "new low," noting she has no operational role in the farm, and countered by citing license violations at Rodgers’ cannabis business in Glover, for which he agreed to pay a $2,500 fine.

In a speech at a Democratic Party event in Burlington, Gray thanked Rodgers for his service to rural communities and his gracious concession. She emphasized that her campaign ran without accepting a single cent from corporate PACs. "I feel like we won this race the Vermont way," Gray said. "We kept things positive. We focused on addressing our biggest challenges."

Rodgers voted in Glover before returning home to concede with his family. In a statement, he said the voters had made their decision and that he respected their choice. "I wish her the best as she prepares to serve the people of Vermont," Rodgers wrote. Gray stated she would begin work the following morning with urgency and experience.

Other statewide races also saw Democratic victories on Tuesday. U.S. Rep. Becca Balint secured a third term in Congress, defeating Republican Gerald Malloy of Perkinsville. Deputy State Auditor Tim Ashe won the race to succeed retiring State Auditor Doug Hoffer, defeating accountant Ivar Kronick of Poultney. Treasurer Mike Pieciak, Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas, and Attorney General Charity Clark all won re-election for third terms.