Republican Lieutenant Governor John Rodgers, left, and Molly Gray, a Democratic nominee to be the lieutenant governor. Photos by Glenn Russell Incumbent Lt. Gov. John Rodgers and Democratic challenger Molly Gray mostly challenged each other on past experiences rather than policy in a debate Tues day afternoon.  “My opponent and I agree with one thing,” Rodgers said. “And that is that we can’t afford the status quo.” Rodgers and Gray, the executive director at Vermont Afghan Alliance, talked bipartisanship, education, healthcare, property taxes and rural-urban divides in a debate hosted by Vermont Public. The candidates agreed that Vermont needs to lower the cost of living and support the state’s rural population. Deflections and personal attacks, however, left little room for policy outlines. Throughout the debate, Rodgers accused Gray of political opportunism and questioned her rural credentials and schooling, while Gray defended her education and later accused Rodgers of bullying. In an opening question, moderator Mikaela Lefrak asked the candidates to discuss how they will fulfill the duties of the role, which has little authority in passing legislation. They agreed that the role should not be seen as a ceremonial one. Gray, who previously served as lieutenant governor from 2021-2023, said the job should be used to advance state priorities and address federal overreach. Gray did not run for reelection in 2023, instead making an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. House of Representatives. Rodgers criticized that decision noting that his time in office has been spent focusing on “constituent work.”  “When you look at the two of us who’ve each had two years there, I used the office to help Vermonters, and my opponent used the office to run for Congress,” he said. Throughout their campaigns, both candidates have touted their rural upbringings. While the candidates agreed that legislators in Montpelier are disconnected from the state’s farmers, Rodgers, 61, of Glover, brought up Gray’s high school education at Stratton Mountain School, a private boarding ski academy.  “I don’t think it’s appropriate to make light of that,” Gray, 42, of Burlington, responded, noting that she had received a scholarship having learned to cross-country ski while growing up in Newbury.  They also agreed on education spending, healthcare, land-use policy and property tax. Gray said she would advocate for universal primary care and affordable housing, noting a five-point housing plan she’s proposing. On high property taxes, Rodgers, who served in the Legislature for 16 years, recalled an amendment he proposed on Act 46 in 2015 that would have mitigated education costs but ultimately wasn’t passed into law.  “It is clearly the same folks that are supporting my opponent that have caused us to get here,” he said, speaking to Vermont having one of the highest property taxes in the country.  Rodgers also said that Gray has yet to explain how to pay for universal primary care.  “What I believe is that we have a responsibility to consider recouping the Trump tax cuts and possibly increasing the tax on luxury second homes in Vermont, not hunting camps, not workforce housing, and investing that directly into a program that we know brings down costs, helps stabilize our education system and provides Vermonters meaningful property tax relief,” Gray responded. Gray won the Democratic primary in August. After her unsuccessful bid for Congress in 2022, she served as the first executive director of the Vermont Afghan Alliance, a nonprofit which supports Afghans resettling across the state. This, she said, allowed her to see “the cruelty and inhumanity of the Trump administration up close.” Rodgers has also previously spoken against the Trump administration’s cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, tariffs and the detentions of migrant workers. Before his 2024 Republican bid for lieutenant governor, Rodgers served in the Legislature as a Democrat. During the debate, he said that he felt disappointed in the impacts of Democratic policies on the working class.  “Their policies are literally crushing them,” he said. “I have a long history of being independent, no matter what party I was part of, because I work for Vermonters” During a segment where the candidates could offer questions to one another, Rodgers asked Gray why she had not spoken out against labor violations on her family’s farm in 2024, which found unfit living conditions for migrant workers. The case was resolved and closed in January 2025.  Gray responded that she was on the ballot, not her family.  “I’m a little bit caught off guard here, and I’m a little bit shocked,” she said. “Vermonters have a chance in this election to really think about the type of leadership they want in the state. When I think about what we see nationally right now, I think about what I want for my kids. I don’t want a self-serving, self-interested bully.” She then asked Rodgers if he could change anything he had done in office he had regretted.  “I mean, quite frankly, I can’t think of any mistakes,” he said, noting speaking against the Trump administration and constituent work. Rodgers questioned whether Gray had encouraged Democratic leaders to bully state Rep. Leanne Harple, D-Glover, who told Gray in a phone call that she was supporting Rodgers. Gray said she couldn’t speak on “anything that happened after” she received a call from Harple. She then criticized Rodgers for his “small, petty, personal” attacks throughout the debate, saying that leadership means focusing on “big issues” in the state. “It’s showing up every single day, making sure that Vermonters feel protected … We’re not bullying other candidates. We’re not bullying other people into providing support for us. And I think that’s what Vermonters deserve right now.” Vermont Public is hosting debates between candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives and governor later this week. The general election takes place Nov. 3. Read the story on VTDigger here: Lt. gov. candidates largely agree on politics, clash personally. ...read more read less