TRANSCRIPT

Two years ago, during the Yankee Sportsman Classic, I received a phone call saying I needed to get right over to the Yankee Sportsman Classic at the fairgrounds, where they were manning the (Chittenden County Republican Committee) booth. There was an extraordinary young man that I simply had to meet at the South Burlington Dolphins booth next to ours.

I was introduced to Javen, found that he's polite, thoughtful, well-spoken, with a maturity and depth of understanding of policy issues far beyond his years. He's a leader in the South Burlington community, which is testament to all the people here today, and his a common sense vision of how to restore affordability, security and prosperity for all Vermonters. We thought meant to be the perfect candidate, popular in his home base with incredible communication skills, a strong work ethic, and values that align perfectly with our party. Most attractively, he's young and charismatic, able to inspire others of his generation to participate in civic engagement.

At the time, however, he was in school and still figuring out which path he would take. The following year, Javen began attending GOP events and quickly made admirers wherever he went. I started getting calls, emails and texts from people saying, "I just met this incredible young man. You should get him to run." Word spread. He impressed everyone, including legislative leaders, party members, radio hosts and journalists alike. Everywhere he went, people saw the same thing we did: intelligence, character, and real potential to make a difference at the State House.

And now here we are as Javen declares his candidacy for the Senate in the Chittenden Southeast district. I couldn't be more proud of him, and I know you are as well. And thank you to the family that nurtured him to bring him to us this day. He'll be running with Bruce Roy, who you are going to hear from next, a retired Air Force Vermont Guard and IBM business leader prominent in the Williston community. Together they bring strength, experience, energy, and we truly believe they can win both seats.

It's exciting to see so many of Javen's supporters here tonight. In the months ahead, your continued support will be crucial to his success. It's not easy getting a conservative, common-sense message out in Chittenden County. You can walk alongside him as he knocks on doors across this large district, make phone calls to identify supporters, and get them out to vote. Join him at sign waves, share his posts, and write letters to the editor in local publications on his behalf.

And to the young people here tonight, I hope Javen’s example motivates you to speak up, get involved, and make a difference in your communities for your own future and for all Vermonters. Thank you very much. And now you're going to hear from the other candidate in the southeast. Thank you very much.

Janet Metz

Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 | Javen Sears’ Campaign Launch Party