A second Democrat is entering the race to unseat Republican Gov. Phil Scott.
Aly Richards, chair of the University of Vermont Medical Center board and former CEO of childcare advocacy group Let’s Grow Kids, announced her candidacy on Monday ahead of a campaign launch later in the morning in her hometown of Newbury.
“Richards has spent her entire career fighting to improve the lives of Vermont children and families,” the announcement stated.
Richards, who lives in Montpelier, was rumored to be gearing up for a run. She told Seven Days in early March that she was seriously considering one. Her official announcement was scheduled for Monday morning at the Newbury Village Store.
Richards served as deputy chief of staff to former governor Peter Shumlin. As CEO of Let’s Grow Kids, she is widely credited with helping push through the legislation meant to strengthen the state’s struggling childcare system. Scott vetoed the bill but it was overridden by the legislature.
The bill raised payroll taxes to generate about $125 million per year for subsidies to help more families afford childcare. Scott argued the higher taxes make the state less affordable.
Richards, a married mother of 7-year-old twins, joins Amanda Janoo, an economist and South Strafford native who now lives in Burlington, in seeking the Democratic nomination. Janoo, a political newcomer, announced her campaign in last month.
Janoo argues the popular Republican governor is vulnerable because he has shown he has no plan to help struggling Vermonters and hasn’t pushed back hard enough on the damaging policies of President Donald Trump.
Neither State Treasurer Mike Pieciak nor Attorney General Charity Clark have announced their plans for 2026, though they’ve been discussed as potential Democratic contenders for governor. Scott has not announced, either, but is widely considered to be running for a sixth term.
The primary is scheduled for August 11.