Howard Dean: Why I'm supporting Amanda Janoo for governor
September 29, 2026 | By Howard DeanWhen I ran for President, I said something that a lot of party insiders didn't want to hear: that Democrats needed to stop playing it safe, stop waiting for permission, and start showing up everywhere.
The Democratic Party is at a crossroads, and we have to decide if we’ll keep trying to protect the status quo or support a new generation of leaders that will fight for meaningful change.
People are watching Washington fail them in real time — on healthcare, on housing, on whether the federal government can be counted on to keep its word — and they are done waiting for politicians who seem content to manage decline.
What people are asking for right now is simple, even if it's rare: leaders who are honest, who are brave, and who aren't bought and paid for by whoever writes the biggest check.
That's why I'm endorsing Amanda Janoo for governor.
Amanda has spent her career as an economist and fiscal policy expert. She has the passion and experience Vermont needs right now, when we can no longer assume Washington will show up for us. Amanda understands how state budgets, federal dollars, and local economies actually fit together, how states like ours build real resilience, and how you get resources to our local communities that are too often left out of the conversation.
The country needs leaders with political courage. Amanda Janoo is one of those leaders: honest, serious, unafraid, and ready to do the work.
Howard Dean served as Governor of Vermont, 1991-2003, and Vermont Lieutenant Governor, 1987-1991. He ran for U.S. President in 2004 and chaired the Democratic National Committee, 2005-09. He lives in Burlington.