Esther Charlestin, the Democratic candidate for governor in 2024, announced this week that she’ll join a crowded field angling for the state’s second-highest position, lieutenant governor.
Charlestin, chair of the Vermont Commission on Women, is the third Democrat to enter the race. She joins Molly Gray, who served as LG from 2021 to 2023, and Ryan McLaren, a former staffer for U.S. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), both of whom launched campaigns earlier this month.
In a statement, Charlestin said her campaign will focus on helping Vermont families get “access to good education, lower costs, and economic freedom.”
“Far too many people are feeling unheard, unseen, and left out by our current leadership, so I’m running to give everyone a seat at the table,” Charlestin said.
Charlestin was the first Black person that Vermont’s Democratic Party ever nominated to run for statewide office. It did not go well: Despite having the backing of Democratic stalwarts such as former governor Howard Dean, Charlestin struggled to raise money.
She also had difficulty articulating why she’d be a better chief executive than Gov. Phil Scott, who cruised to a fifth term with 74 percent of the vote to Charlestin’s 22 percent.
Vermont’s Democratic primary takes place on August 11.
Kevin McCallum is a political reporter at Seven Days, covering the Statehouse and state government. An October 2024 cover story explored the challenges facing people seeking FEMA buyouts of their flooded homes. He’s been a journalist for more than 25…
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