Rodgers to run for Vermont lieutenant governor

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Former Vermont senator John Rodgers says he plans to run for lieutenant governor.

Rodgers represented the Essex-Orleans district from 2013 until he stepped away from the Statehouse in 2021.

He served for years as a Democrat but now says he plans to run on the Republican ticket.

Rodgers was part of a coalition of protesters who took over the Statehouse last month arguing that urban communities are trampling over the interest of rural Vermonters.

The lt. governor’s race is shaping up to be a competitive one on both sides of the ticket. So far, Rodgers would face a primary challenge from Rutland’s Gregory Thayer.

On the Democratic side, Winooski Deputy Mayor Thomas Renner said last week he would take on incumbent Lt. Governor David Zuckerman.

Vermont’s primary is on August 13th.