Vermont Republican Governor nominee?
$39.1K
AUG 12, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleLieutenant Governor
PartyRepublican
Political ideologyModerate Republican
Age60 years old (Jul 29, 1965)
GenderMale
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LocationVermont
BackgroundPolitician
EducationSacred Heart High School, Newport, Vermont (1983)
Notable personal detailsJohn S. Rodgers is an American politician and farmer who has served as Lieutenant Governor of Vermont since January 2025. He previously served in the Vermont House of Representatives for eight years and in the Vermont State Senate representing the Essex-Orleans District. Raised on a family dairy farm in Glover, he later founded JS Rodgers Masonry Inc., a construction business specializing in dry stonework and excavation.
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Positions
Economy & Taxes
The candidate emphasizes reducing government spending and making Vermont more affordable by stemming increases in property taxes, energy and healthcare costs, while also saying taxes should be fair and indicating wealthy Vermonters should pay their “fair share.” His statements combine calls for fiscal restraint with openness to shifting some burden onto higher earners, producing no single clear ideological stance on taxation.
Healthcare
Opposes Vermont pursuing a single‑payer or universal health system on the state level as too costly and instead favors pushing the federal government and Vermont’s congressional delegation to address health‑care costs and reduce waste. Emphasizes lowering drug and insurance prices and improving efficiency rather than implementing a state single‑payer program.
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Immigration & Border
John Rodgers has expressed opposition to mass deportation and emphasized that Vermont farms and the state economy rely on immigrant and undocumented farmworkers. He has argued for protecting those workers and criticized aggressive enforcement actions while not advancing a detailed federal legalization plan in the cited public statements.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Supports reproductive autonomy and a woman’s right to choose, framing abortion and bodily autonomy as protected rights. Has publicly endorsed measures to enshrine reproductive rights in Vermont’s constitution and affirms support for women’s rights to bodily autonomy.
Climate & Energy
Supports acknowledging climate change and promoting voluntary, incentive-based stewardship (for example, tax or financial incentives for sustainable land management) but opposes aggressive, economy-wide regulatory mandates and large-scale renewable deployments that he says raise costs for Vermonters. Criticizes major renewable developers and specific policies such as a clean heat standard and some EV/subsidy approaches as economically regressive and environmentally problematic (e.g., supply-chain harms).
Public Safety & Guns
John Rodgers supports broad Second Amendment rights, opposes bans on commonly owned semi-automatic rifles such as the AR-15, and has criticized new restrictions on law-abiding gun owners while also saying databases and red-flag laws can play a role in keeping firearms from prohibited people. He has sponsored measures to resist federal firearm restrictions and frames gun ownership as part of rural life and self-protection.
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We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
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