More than three decades later, the two found themselves back on the trail — only this time, the campaign signs had a different name.
“I don’t think we’ve been in a more dangerous political time than now. It’s easy to get depressed,” Kunin said Thursday night before a crowd of roughly 100 people at the Queen City Brewery in Burlington. “But Molly’s a bright spot as we look at the political horizon.”
“She is certainly the best candidate — the most impassioned candidate — to be our next lieutenant governor,” Kunin later added.
Gray, a Democrat who announced last month that she is seeking the state’s No. 2 office, officially launched her campaign on Thursday with a daylong jaunt that began in Bradford and ended in Burlington.
Speaking before a group of friends, family and supporters, Gray said she’s running to join “a new generation of bold Vermont leadership.”
“This campaign is about a brighter future for Vermont. One that’s inclusive. One that’s diverse. One that’s innovative,” Gray said. “Those are the stories we’re going to tell.”
Gray graduated from the University of Vermont in 2006 and worked for Rep. Peter Welch’s (D-Vt.) congressional campaign that year. She then served as a Welch aide in Washington, D.C., but eventually returned to the Green Mountain State to attend Vermont Law School. She now works as a prosecutor in the Attorney General’s Office and lives in Burlington.
Gray’s tour made her the first candidate to hold a formal campaign kickoff event since the flurry of announcements in the wake of news that Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, a Progressive/Democrat, is running for governor. Others seeking the Democratic nomination include former gubernatorial candidate Brenda Siegel, Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Ashe (D/P-Chittenden) and Sen. Debbie Ingram (D-Chittenden).
Gray dedicated much of her kickoff speech to describing three main goals: saving rural communities, supporting young families and protecting Vermont’s landscape.
She called for expanding broadband throughout the state and a “pipeline” from schools to technical centers to the workforce. She vowed to work on passing a paid family leave program, recalling how she was recently forced to consider taking unpaid leave to care for a loved one — and potentially defaulting on her school loans in the process. And she spoke of growing the renewable energy sector to better mitigate the impacts of climate change on Vermont’s environment, which she called “the soul of our state.”
“As your lieutenant governor, I will protect the land that’s protected us. I will care for the land that’s taken care of us. And I will bring all of us into a conversation about that,” she said.
Gray’s willingness to work with others was among many attributes earning the praise of Burlington City Councillor Joan Shannon (D-South District), who said the candidate is “not the kind of politician whose ego enters the room first.”
“We need to have leaders that have confidence without arrogance, and that have humility at the same time. That have perseverance without bullying. And have compassion that’s coupled with activism,” Shannon continued. “I really see that in Molly.”
Kunin, who taught Gray at UVM, agreed, praising her “informal” mentee for taking on the challenge of running for office. “In order to make a difference, you have to be there,” Kunin said, emphasizing the need for women to enter politics.
Kunin then recalled an old phrase that has been used to demonstrate the importance of representation: “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”
“Molly isn’t going to be on the menu,” Kunin said. “She’s going to be making the menu.”
Disclosure: Tim Ashe is the domestic partner of Seven Days publisher and coeditor Paula Routly. Find our conflict-of-interest policy here: sevendaysvt.com/disclosure.
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Molly who?
@4MERVTER well you commented on the last article written about her a month ago so guessing you know who she is bud.
Molly is great and may get my vote but here’s my beef with pretty much all of the candidates that have announced this far – they all wax on about helping young families but not one has offered any proposals to help older Vermonters. We hear about free childcare and free preschool and publicly funded parental leave for everyone yet those of us who have worked hard for a lifetime and basically paid the freight for every “progressive” program currently in place and certainly all that are now being proposed are just looked at by the Legislature and our elected “leaders” as the states ATM.
Just listing a few examples of ageism on the part of the state, the Vermont Legislature still:
Taxes SS income;
Pension and retirement income:
Steadfastly refuses to enact a hearing aid insurance mandate; and
Provides little meaningful help with elder care or health care for older people.
For decades we have paid the freight yet you don’t hear Molly or any other candidates talking about helping older Vermonters.
Vermont has an aging population that are being taken advantage of and taken for granted by pretty much all of our states politicians. It needs to stop.
Yes Roy, I agree. What is being done to help us older Vermonter’s? It seems the candidates could care less and are depending on the younger student voters to elect them!
Candidate has never run for or held elective office and she starts with a statewide run for the second highest office in the state?
Did someone say something about arrogance and humility?
@Wheaton, my only comment was agreeing with KNOWYOURASSUMPTIONS in questioning what her platforms are. No Bud, I don’t know who she is.
@KNOWYOURASSUMPTIONS why the heck would we want anyone who has Montpelier experience? It’s not like things are exactly going well bud. It’s a dumpster fire in Montpelier. We could easily kick out the entire state legislature and nobody would even know the difference. Seriously. No idea at this point it Ms. Gray is worth voting for but this State would do itself a great service to bring in new blood.
@Wheaton, do you read posts before commenting? In the earlier article you pointed to, you stated that I must know Gray, I simply agreed with KNOWYOURASSUMPTIONS when he/she pointed out the kind of info needed to discern if Gray is worthy. I just agreed!
In your latest post concerning KNOWYOURASSUMPTIONS, he/she never even mentioned Montpeculier.
I think the gist of all our posts, you included is: what does this candidate bring to the table? You might want to keep on that track rather than snarking at me and Know….
Currently child care is outrageously expensive for a new family in Vermont. Each child costs the same as a mortgage. For many families it’s cheaper to live on one salary and for the other parent to stay home – hurting their pensions, straining employers, and weakening our economy.
Working families boost tax revenue and help fund programs for the older members of the community. I think a younger candidate has a unique perspective on all of this and I applaud Molly for stepping up!