Updated at 12:46 p.m.

She's running. Democratic Lt. Gov. Molly Gray on Monday announced her candidacy for Vermont's lone U.S. House seat, seeking a congressional perch just one year after she won her first-ever election.


Gray, 37, burst onto the scene in the Democratic LG primary last year by beating back a crowded field, including former Senate president pro tempore Tim Ashe. She went on to easily defeat Republican Scott Milne in the general election and took office in January.
Since her election, she's showed signs of interest in higher office, and has political allies in high places. She hired a political adviser the same month she was sworn in and flexed her fundraising acumen by hauling in $50,000 through June, records show.

Gray's been a mainstay at community events large and small, frequently sends out press releases about local and national issues, and went abroad this year to North Macedonia with a contingent from the Vermont National Guard. She also spent some of this summer and fall on a statewide Recover Stronger tour, in which she visited with community members and organizations in various towns. Gray has had support from big names in Vermont politics, and has connections to U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), whose retirement announcement last month helped clear the way for her run.
After Leahy said he wouldn't run for another term next year, the dominos began to fall. U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) announced his candidacy for Leahy's Senate seat, meaning no incumbent will be seeking reelection to Vermont's lone House seat for the first time since 2006.

Vermont has never sent a woman to serve in Congress, and Gray is one of several women looking to change that next year. Vermont Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale (D-Chittenden) and state Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint (D-Windham) have both expressed interest in running for the House seat, though neither has formally declared her candidacy.

Of the three names bandied about, Gray has the least political experience. She grew up on her family's dairy and vegetable farm in Newbury, and as a young adult, interned in Leahy's office. She worked on Welch's winning campaign in 2006, then stayed on as a legislative aide. Before her run for LG, Gray was employed as a Vermont assistant attorney general.


During last year's campaign, opponents attacked Gray for her lack of political experience. And Gray drew criticism when it was revealed that she hadn't cast a ballot between 2008 and 2018. She later said that she wasn't proud of her voting record and that former president Donald Trump's election was a "wake-up call."

"It's something that I have learned from," she said last year.

One year in to her term, she says she's ready for the next political challenge.