Sherman : Would you consider your parents to be politically-minded ?
Gray : I remember talking with them a lot about what was happening globally or nationally . My parents did a lot to foster conversation , but I don ’ t remember them being political . They ’ re definitely competitive skiers and hardworking farmers who care deeply for the community they serve , but they are not engaged in politics . My late uncle , Bill Gray , ran for the U . S . Senate in 1988 . He also served as U . S . Attorney . I really looked up to him . He loved Vermont and cared deeply about fairness , integrity , and justice . Over the years I ’ ve learned more about his life through his former colleagues . He remains an influential figure in my life .
Sherman : Have you always had an interest in politics and leadership ?
Gray : I was not the fifth-grade class president , but I may have been out on the soccer field , trying to get the team to run a little bit faster and play a little bit harder . Honestly , I find that as I get older , I become more and more of an introvert . I increasingly treasure the times where I get to reflect a bit or be with loved ones away from the limelight . That might sound weird coming from someone who decided to run for Lieutenant Governor ! I do think that there comes a moment in every life where one finds their passion . My passion is the state that I love - and working to leave Vermont better than I found it . In the past , wherever I ’ ve been working in the world , I ’ ve always had that moment of “ it ’ s so good to be home ” when I ’ ve come back . I think we also have talent that we realize is there at some point , be it the endurance to commit to an issue for a long time or the endurance to continue to train , practice , or grow a skill set . Committing to serving for Vermont and enduring for Vermont , that ’ s something that I feel really , really good about .
Sherman : What was it like to work for Congressman Peter Welch after you graduated UVM ?
Gray : In 2005 , it was announced that Senator Jim Jeffords was retiring and that Bernie Sanders - who was then a Congressman from Vermont - was going to run for the U . S . Senate . Peter Welch then decided to run for the vacant congressional seat . I started volunteering on his campaign during my senior year of college . I ended
34 VERMONT MAGAZINE