We sit down with Ryan McLaren, longtime behind‑the‑scenes force in Vermont politics and now a candidate for Lieutenant Governor.

We talk about what shaped him (including growing up in a 900‑square‑foot house in Essex Jct), what he's hearing from voters, and why he's running.Ryan digs into affordability, rebuilding trust with working Vermonters, the soft‑power weirdness of the LG’s office, and what it means to be “Made in Vermont.”

Plus: rural vitality, floods, dairy, and how not to get pushed around by a Trump administration.Ryan levels up our Creemee Order segment with a deeply considered opinion on the subject.