A 14-year-old high school student is running for governor of Vermont, a first in the region's history.

At 14, Dean Roy, from Vermont, USA, became the youngest candidate for governor in the region's history. He officially announced his candidacy for the November elections, which he doesn't necessarily expect to win.

In an interview with the Associated Press, he primarily expressed a desire to "launch the movement" and encourage young Americans to get involved in politics. To circumvent the American two-party system, Dean Roy decided to create his own party, "Freedom and Unity," which guarantees him a place on the ballot.

Highly critical of politicians

“I know it might sound crazy that a 14-year-old is running for governor, but honestly, look at who’s in charge right now,” Roy said in a post on his campaign’s Instagram page. “They’ve been in power forever, and it still doesn’t work.”

Strangely, nothing prevents a minor from running for governor in Vermont, and the reason the case is generating so much discussion across the Atlantic is because it's the only US state without an age limit. Most states require candidates to be at least 30 years old, but not all.

Dean Roy is running for governor in the state of Vermont. He's also only 14 years old. While the high school freshman says this is just a learning experience and isn't expecting to win, he hopes to get at least 1,000 votes.

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Those who left the door open to youth often closed it very quickly to avoid "joke" candidacies. In Kansas, legislators introduced a provision in 2018 requiring candidates for governor to be at least 25 years old, after six teenagers ran for office.

Although he is not currently being taken seriously by the other candidates, Dean Roy has made the effort to work on his program, and believes that the biggest problem affecting his fellow citizens is housing and the cost of living.

"If I can convince people that I pose a threat to them, then I'll know I've succeeded," he concluded. "Because what I want is to show them that young people have a voice. We're going to make things happen. The future is now."