Meet Aly Richards
I grew up in Newbury because my parents believed that Vermont was the best state to raise a family. And they were right.
I spent my summers fishing in my neighbors’ pond, cooking with three generations of family, and celebrating with friends at our local diner, the P & H Truckstop.
My dad taught public high school for 35 years. He was my history and English teacher at Oxbow High School – and I promise he didn’t cut me any slack. My mom was my best advisor, especially during long drives to State Board of Education meetings when I served as a student member before I even had my driver’s license.
Growing up in Vermont instilled in me a strong work ethic, commitment to community, and a belief that anything is possible when we put our differences aside and work together.
Like so many of my friends, I left home seeking to change the world, and I found my place in Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. When he won, I thought we’d have a shot at healing our country.
But DC was a rude awakening. I discovered that folks who disagreed wouldn’t speak to each other or even eat at the same restaurants. DC was broken, and I couldn’t fix it.
So I came home.
I started working for the Governor and spent my days talking to Vermonters. I heard what they cared about most, like affordability and access to good paying jobs. And I quickly realized that the lack of access to affordable child care was a root cause to so many of these issues.
So I jumped right in and got to work. I led a movement of over 40,000 parents, small business owners, and early childhood educators to pass the most significant child care law in the country. We organized, we rallied, we fought; we came together across party lines and, against the odds, we won.
Together, we made child care more affordable and more accessible.
And we’re just getting started. I’m running for governor because I want to make Vermont what it was for me — the best place to grow up and raise a family.
And I know it can be. But right now, too many of us feel like our dreams are out of reach. The high cost of living is crushing us. Chaos in Washington has left us feeling fearful and uncertain. I know that Vermonters want change, not more of the same. Together, we will fix our broken healthcare system, build housing Vermonters can actually afford, protect our communities from the dysfunction in Washington, and create an economy that works for all of us.
That’s what I want for my own brave little family, husband James, and our identical twin boys, Beau and Wesley. That’s what I want for our friends and their families in our community of Montpelier. And that’s what I want for everyone that calls Vermont home.
This dream can only become a reality if we all work together. So let’s get moving!