ALy Richards for Governor
Aly's Platform
That’s why I’m running for Governor on a simple premise: do what we know works. My top priority is to develop a Vermont Economic Action Plan – a serious, coordinated strategy to make Vermont a place where everyone can afford to stay, work, and raise a family.
Getting there requires real leadership. That means setting a shared vision with clear targets and deadlines, understanding how all of the moving pieces interact with each other, and putting the people most impacted in the driver’s seat because that’s how you know policy will actually work. It means using data, engaging in community conversations, and empowering leaders who will stay focused and get results. We did this before with child care, and we can do it again. Vermonters deserve nothing less.
The priorities below represent the key pillars of my Economic Action Plan, starting with housing and health care. In the coming weeks and months, this page will evolve based on your feedback, because the people closest to these problems know best what solutions will actually work. Please consider sharing your thoughts with us at info@alyforvt.com. I look forward to hearing from you as we continue to build a Vermont that works for all of us – together.
Housing
Vermont’s housing crisis is holding us back, and investing in housing is the solution that will stabilize our economy. When Vermonters can’t afford to live here, businesses can’t grow, schools lose students, and communities can’t thrive. We need to build more homes, in the right places, at prices Vermonters can actually afford. There’s no time to waste; as Governor, I’ll make housing my top priority and use every tool available to get it done.
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- Build more homes, faster, in the right places. Vermont doesn’t have a demand problem, we have a supply problem. As Governor, I’ll set clear annual housing production targets by region, prioritize state and federal dollars toward developments that enhance community vitality, and make it easier and faster to build the homes Vermonters need at a price they can afford. I’ll expand on initiatives like the Community Housing Investment Program to supercharge production and finance the infrastructure that makes new housing possible.
- Build the workforce to build the homes. A builder can’t build homes if they can’t afford to live here. Vermont can’t solve its housing crisis without the workforce to build the housing we need, and we can’t recruit nurses, teachers, and workers in any sector without a place for them to live. As Governor, I’ll break this cycle by pairing housing investment with workforce development: expanding apprenticeships, trades training, and vocational education so Vermont has the labor force we need.
- Investigate the true cost of vacancy. Second homes, short-term rentals, and vacant luxury properties are taking homes off the market in communities across Vermont, but we don’t have a full picture of the impact. As Governor, I’ll direct a comprehensive look at how vacancy is affecting our housing supply and community vibrancy so we really know what we’re up against, and enact a strategic vacancy tax that will allow us to invest more in housing so we can continue to grow.
- Treat homelessness as the housing problem it is. No one should be living on the street in Vermont. The long-term solution is building and supporting more permanent, affordable housing, and in the meantime, every Vermonter deserves access to basic shelter and supportive services. As Governor, I’ll develop a real statewide plan that doesn’t leave municipalities and our nonprofit partners to carry this alone, with a clear commitment that while we work on permanent, long-term solutions, no child and no older Vermonter will be without a safe place to sleep.
Health Care
All Vermonters deserve high-quality, affordable, accessible health care, but right now, that’s out of reach for too many. Vermont has the highest individual premiums in the country, our hospitals are on the brink of bankruptcy, and up to 45,000 Vermonters could lose coverage under federal Medicaid cuts. It is unacceptable that families are being forced to choose between rent, food, and a doctor’s visit. As Governor, I will confront our health care crisis head on, because Vermonters are done waiting. It’s time to act.
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- Fight for every dollar Vermont is owed. The federal government owes Vermont billions in health care funding, and I won’t leave a single dollar on the table. As Governor, I will marshal state resources to ensure Vermonters can navigate federal changes and keep their Medicaid and Medicare coverage, strategically deploy the $195 million per year Vermont is receiving in Rural Health Transformation funding over the next five years, and fight back against any attempt to cut the benefits Vermonters have earned.
- Drive down costs and keep rural hospitals open. Vermont’s health care costs are too high: not because we’re sicker, but because prices are out of control. I’ll use every tool available, including reference-based pricing, to bring costs in line. I’ll also lead the hospital transformation work Vermont urgently needs: pushing for real coordination and efficiency, shared services, cost transparency, and accountability, so we protect access to critical care in every corner of the state.
- Guarantee universal primary care for every Vermonter. Every Vermonter deserves a primary care provider – not as a privilege, but as a guarantee. Primary care is preventive care: when Vermonters can see a doctor regularly, they stay healthier, and costs go down for everyone. That’s the promise of universal primary care, and I’m committed to making it real. I’ll expand access by investing in the workforce we need: recruiting and retaining providers through loan forgiveness, housing support, and rural practice incentives, and partnering with Vermont’s medical and nursing schools to build a homegrown pipeline. And building on the success of Vermont’s existing free clinics, I’ll support expanding that model to every county, so that no Vermonter goes without care because they can’t afford it.
Education
Vermont’s next generation deserves a world-class education, but right now, property taxes are skyrocketing, not all students are getting the opportunities they need to thrive, and communities are being torn apart by a conversation that has no clear goal. The answer isn’t to cut our way forward, it’s to spend smarter, empower communities, and build an education system that works for every Vermont child. As Governor, I’ll bring people together around shared values and real solutions.
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- Tackle the real cost drivers. Property taxes are too high, but the conversation about why rarely gets to the root of the problem. We need to focus on the major cost drivers in our education system, which include health care, special education, transportation, and aging infrastructure. As Governor, I’ll take on health care costs statewide, expand shared services and administrative efficiencies across districts, and ensure we’re investing in the supports students need so teachers can focus on teaching and students can focus on learning.
- Empower communities to make their own decisions. Vermonters know their communities best. The Agency of Education must transform into a true service organization: supplying districts with data, best practices, and technical assistance so communities can have honest conversations and make the right choices for their kids and neighbors.
- Create more pathways to success. A diploma should be a beginning, not an ending. Too many Vermont students graduate without a clear path to a career or further education, and too many employers can’t find the skilled workers they need. As Governor, I’ll expand access to CTE programs, apprenticeships, trades training, and flexible pathway opportunities so every Vermont student can graduate with real skills, industry recognized credentials, and a plan for the future.
Child Care
Vermont took a historic step forward with the passage of Act 76, and we’re already seeing results. Affordable, accessible, high quality child care isn’t a luxury, it’s the foundation that lets parents work, businesses grow, and children thrive. As Governor, I’ll build on this progress and make sure Vermont remains a national leader in early childhood.
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- Expand child care affordability for more Vermont families.
- Ensure Act 76 is working as intended with a continued commitment to accountability and tracking return on investment and outcomes for children and families.
- Support early childhood educators to do their essential work by increasing compensation.
Investing in Rural Vermont
Rural Vermont isn’t a problem to be solved. It’s a strength to be invested in. Too often, decisions that shape rural communities are made without rural Vermonters at the table, and the infrastructure and resources that make rural life possible are stretched to the breaking point. As Governor, I’ll put rural Vermont in the driver’s seat and make the investments needed for rural communities to thrive.
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- Create an Office of Rural Prosperity. Rural Vermont deserves a seat at the cabinet table. I’ll create a cabinet-level Office of Rural Prosperity to build a shared vision for rural communities — in partnership with the people who live there. This office will work across state agencies to make sure policy made in Montpelier reflects what’s actually happening on the ground, and that rural voices are heard before decisions are made.
- Invest in the organizations already doing the work. Vermont has an incredible network of organizations like Regional Development Corporations, Regional Planning Commissions, Area Agencies on Aging, Community Action Programs, and more providing essential resources and technical assistance to rural communities. As Governor, I’ll ensure they have sufficient resources to do their essential work, and make sure every community can access them equitably.
- Fix the roads, bridges, and infrastructure rural Vermont depends on. You can’t build a thriving rural community on crumbling roads and failing culverts. As Governor, I’ll put Vermont’s road repair program back on sustainable footing, with a goal of 250 miles per year, prioritize culvert upgrades to build flood resiliency, and make the infrastructure investments that rural Vermonters have been waiting too long for.
- Reimagine our college campuses as community anchors. Vermont’s college campuses are more than educational institutions — they are economic engines and community hubs. As Governor, I’ll forge partnerships with our existing institutions to serve their surrounding communities, attract investment, and help rural regions grow, while ensuring that closed campuses remain vibrant hubs for the communities that depend on them.
Energy & Climate
Energy has never been more expensive, placing new burdens on working families already struggling to get by. Vermont must achieve energy independence as a pathway to affordability: by transitioning to cleaner, cheaper energy sources, we can drive down costs for families and businesses while building a more resilient state. The path to energy independence is also the path to a stronger climate future. What used to be a 100-year flood is now a 3-year flood. We can’t afford to wait. As Governor, I’ll make energy independence a defining goal of my administration and lead Vermont to become a national model for affordable, resilient, clean energy.
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- Help Vermonters make the switch and save money. When Vermonters have access to solar panels, heat pumps, pellet stoves, and other clean energy sources, they spend less on their electric bill and at the pump and have more money in their pockets for the things that matter. As Governor, I’ll work to make energy independence achievable for every Vermont family, not just those who can afford it upfront.
- Grow Vermont’s homegrown energy supply. Every kilowatt we generate here is a kilowatt we’re not buying from somewhere else. I’ll lean into development of renewable energy that lets communities take the lead, and invest in battery storage and grid infrastructure so Vermont can generate and use clean energy around the clock.
- Make Vermont an incubator for the energy solutions of tomorrow. The next generation of clean energy technology, including fuel cells, battery storage, and grid innovation, will be built somewhere. It should be built here. Vermont companies like BETA Technologies are already stepping up to lead, and as Governor I’ll make sure they have the support they need to grow, succeed, and export Vermont ideas to the world.
- Build a Vermont that can withstand what’s coming. Energy independence and climate resilience go hand in hand. As Governor, I’ll invest in the infrastructure Vermont needs to weather an uncertain climate future. That means systematically replacing culverts, hardening infrastructure against flooding, and building the kind of resilience that keeps houses out of rivers and families in their homes.
Defending Democracy
Vermont has always been a place where people respect each other’s right to live the way they want to live. We may not always agree, but we believe in the fundamental dignity and freedom of every person. That tradition is under threat. The federal government is rolling back constitutional protections at an unprecedented pace, attacking the basic rights of Americans, and inflicting real fear in communities across our country. This is not nuanced. As Governor, I will stand up for every Vermonter, fiercely and without apology.
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- Protect the rights Vermonters have fought to secure. In response to federal threats, Vermonters have worked to enshrine basic rights into our Constitution. I’m proud of that work, and I’m proud to support Propositions 3 and 4 this November. Reproductive freedom, collective bargaining, equal protection — these are not negotiable. As Governor, I will defend every right Vermonters have secured and fight back against any federal attempt to take them away.
- Ensure every Vermonter’s constitutional rights are protected. The federal government’s immigration enforcement actions are inflicting fear in Vermont communities and among our neighbors, who are woven into the fabric of our state. In these unprecedented times, I will be a transparent leader who ensures people know their rights, and brings relevant partners together to share accurate information and prepare for an unknown future. I will fight with everything I have for our communities, so Vermont can be a beacon of hope for the country as the very idea of our democratic government is under attack.
- Make sure every Vermonter’s voice is heard. Democracy only works when people participate. As Governor, I will protect access to the ballot box, defend the right to peaceful protest, and make sure Vermonters have the information and education they need to know their rights and use them.
Upcoming Events
Meet Aly with the Bennington Dems!
06/03/2026 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Bennington Public Library
101 Silver St
Bennington, VT
Creemees with Aly at Lilac Ridge Farm!
06/05/2026 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Lilac Ridge Farm
264 Ames Hill Rd
Brattleboro, VT
March with Aly in the Vermont Dairy Festival
06/06/2026 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Enosburg Falls Elementary School
303 Dickinson Ave
Enosburg, VT
Canvass for Aly in Brattleboro!
06/07/2026 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Brooks Memorial Library
224 Main St
Brattleboro, VT
Meet Aly at Snow Farm Vineyard - South Hero
06/07/2026 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Snow Farm Vineyard & Distillery
190 W Shore Rd
South Hero, VT
March with Aly for St Albans Pride!
06/13/2026 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Saint Albans City
Saint Albans City, VT
Free Community Dinner with Aly!
06/23/2026 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
O.N.E. Community Center
20 Allen St
Burlington, VT
March with Aly at the Waterbury Not Quite Independence Day Parade!
06/27/2026 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Waterbury State Office Complex
103 S Main St
Waterbury, VT