John Hollar: Supporting Ryan McLaren for lieutenant governor
July 29, 2026To the Community:
When I served as Montpelier mayor, I worked to improve daily life for our residents: keeping our community affordable, investing in infrastructure and housing, and making local government work for the people it serves. I know firsthand how hard that work is and how much it matters who is doing it.
That's why I'm supporting Ryan McLaren for lieutenant governor.
Vermont is facing enormous strains. Housing is scarce and expensive, homelessness has tripled statewide in five years, health insurance premiums are among the highest in the nation, and families are being forced to leave the state.
Ryan has put forward serious, specific plans to meet these challenges: increasing housing supply through a tax credit plan for new construction, pursuing universal primary care as a foundation for a more affordable health system, investing in classroom teachers and cost-effective education reform, and streamlining permitting for renewable energy projects to lower costs and cut pollution.
Ryan's own story backs that up. Raised in Essex by working-class parents, he has spent his career in public service — in AmeriCorps, on school boards, coaching kids, and for 15 years in Vermont government and as a senior aide to Sen. Peter Welch. He knows how to get things done, and that experience shows in the breadth and seriousness of his platform.
It also shows in those who are backing him. Sen. Welch, who has worked with Ryan for years, has called him someone with “the temperament, skills, and humanity to bring people together around what matters most.” Renowned author and climate advocate Bill McKibben has likewise endorsed Ryan, pointing to the seriousness of his vision on climate and renewable energy.
The lieutenant governor doesn't just preside over the Senate. The office can set priorities and build coalitions to address difficult problems. Ryan McLaren has done that for years and is the leader we need. I hope Vermonters will join me in supporting him.
John Hollar
Montpelier
John Hollar was mayor of Montpelier, 2012-2018.