Watch: Dem Candidate Tries to Play Victim After Republican Exposes Her Hypocrisy with One Debate Question

Of all the major races in this year’s midterms, Vermont’s lieutenant governor contest wasn’t really on the top of my to-watch list.

Sure, statewide Republicans tend to do better than Republicans trying to get elected to federal office in the Green Mountain State, but it’s still reliably progressive even in the red camp. And, in a midterm year where Donald Trump is not on the ballot, Democrats are going to invoke him even if a RINO is trying to stay in office.

That’s precisely what makes the race so interesting after Tuesday’s debate, however — because, when called on her hypocrisy on one of the key issues nationally by current Republican Lt. Gov. John Rodgers, Democratic nominee Molly Gray tried playing the victim card in an unintentionally hilarious manner.

Gray, who previously served in the position from 2021 to 2023, left the position after running in the Democratic primary for the state’s at-large House seat, which she lost to current Rep. Becca Balint. So, she’s trying to get back into her former gig, and she’s been using her time on the family farm to get crossover voters.

In fact, Rodgers said, she’s been talking “constantly about your family farm” and that her “campaign website also says you believe everyone has the right to live with dignity and ensure humane treatment.”

“But your family farm was at the center of serious labor violations around its treatment of H-2A migrant workers,” Rodgers said during the debate. “Why did you not speak out against the mistreatment of migrant workers on your family farm, and did you use your influence to direct the investigation?”

Ouch. Fact check: Accurate. From the Vermont Daily Chronicle:

The records, sent Tuesday afternoon to media by the Rodgers campaign, describe an August 2024 visit in which H-2A migrant workers directed Vermont labor officials to their housing. A later Vermont Agency of Agriculture investigation identified a series of problems, including livestock kept directly below a kitchen area used by workers, inadequate insulation, heating concerns, damaged screening and flooring, and a privy within 100 feet of living and food-preparation areas.

The records also describe concerns about a basement shower used by workers. A Vermont Department of Labor official characterized the shower area as unlit and unventilated and said it lacked privacy.

According to a timeline in the records, the case was referred to the Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or VOSHA, in August 2024. The federal Wage and Hour Division subsequently took up the case and conducted an onsite investigation in October. VOSHA conducted its own onsite inspection in November and issued a citation Dec. 3.

If you’re trying to pass yourself off as a woman of the land and also a defender of decency for foreigners who are here legally or especially illegally, it doesn’t help if you have serious labor violations on your record, particularly if you’re running for office.

Molly Gray family farm investigated for migrant farmworker housing conditions.

https://t.co/WYtpuua3Vf

— Vermont Daily Chronicle (@VTDC802) October 7, 2026

Gray seemed completely unprepared for this line of questioning, instead implying that she shouldn’t have to really account for this since it was a personal question.

“Wow, you know, John — seems like kind of a new low here,” Gray said. “I’m on the ballot. My experience, my background, my policies are on the ballot. My family is not on the ballot, so I’m going to give you an opportunity to ask a different question.”

Rodgers refused, noting that “you talk about your family farm throughout your campaign and on your website, you talk about being there.”

Gray’s response:

Yeah, I guess, you know, I’m a little bit caught off guard here, and I’m a little bit shocked. You know, I guess I’ll say this: Vermonters have a chance in this election to really think about the type of leadership they want in the state. When I think about what we see nationally right now, I think about what I want for my kids. I don’t want a self-serving, self-interested bully who not only bullies his town and fails to follow the laws that he helped create. You know, I don’t want that in Washington. I definitely don’t want that in this state. And yeah, I’m disappointed. I think that there’s all sorts of questions you could ask me today about policy decisions, but going after my family — that’s just a new low, and we deserve better.

Using her family is okay, and using H-2A visa holders and treating them like dirt is okay, too, but don’t you dare mess with Molly Gray’s family, even though she’s trying to ride them to statewide office.

Current Lt. Gov. John Rodgers, a Republican from Glover, and former Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, a Democrat from Burlington, d their policy priorities and traded pointed criticisms during a live debate hosted by Vermont Public.

Watch the debate: https://t.co/RJ8UKX1vwJ https://t.co/W9trw0PdNp

— Vermont Public (@vermontpublic) October 6, 2026

Documents d with the media showed how bad things were at the farm.

While the farm isn’t owned by her, Rodgers said it’s “central to her political biography,” which forced Gray to complain.

“John Rodgers has every right to come after me and my policy ideas, but going after my family is disgraceful and a new low,” she said in response, according to WCAX-TV.

This still doesn’t get around to the substance of the question: If you crow about the inherent dignity of everyone and using the lieutenant governor’s office to “protect every Vermonter against unlawful and unconstitutional federal actions” — this includes hindering Immigration and Customs Enforcement in every legally allowable way — it’s perfectly reasonable to ask how you treat legal immigrants on the family farm that you’re using to sell yourself to the people of Vermont.

Leave it to a Democrat to claim a perfectly reasonable question is “a new low.”

Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.