You probably heard about the baby race at a recent WNBA game. Yeah, the one where all the babies sat unmoving at the starting line until one of them got up and walked, allegedly for the first time ever, all the way to the finish line. It was a heartwarming moment, at least until the Internet trolls started accusing the baby’s parents of cheating.

Well, the Vermont Democratic Party’s competition for the top of the ticket reminds me of that baby race, except it’s been going on for close to a decade. We’re all staring at these babies waiting for one of them to make a move.

And now, suddenly, one of them has made a move. Unfortunately, the move was to walk off the race course.

Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas has announced she’s running for a third term, presumably against H. Brooke Paige, the world’s most elegantly dressed tomato can. (This development was apparently of interest only to WPTZ-TV. I’ve seen no other reports on her announcement. Hell, VTDigger ran a story about Copeland Hanzas today that somehow didn’t even mention her 2026 declaration.) But there are three things more important to us Vermont Political Observers than the fact that she’s running for re-election.

Update! Literally the day after I published this post, VTDigger reported that both Copeland Hanzas and Lt. Gov. John Rodgers had declared their intent to run for re-election.

First, it means she’s not running for governor. It’s almost a given that the top candidates for gov in 2026 are the Democrats’ three statewide electeds — Copeland Hanzas, Attorney General Charity Clark, and Treasurer Mike Pieciak. They’re the only ones with established statewide profiles and a track record of winning statewide elections. (Not counting Auditor Doug Hoffer because he’s never expressed the slightest interest in being anything other than auditor, and he’s planning to bow out of office at the end of his current term. Although with his financial chops and progressive credibility, he’d make for an intriguing governor.)

So the effective withdrawal of Copeland Hanzas narrows the focus of speculation to Clark and Pieciak.

All of this, I should make clear, is not to cast aspersions on any of those who actually challenged Gov. Phil Scott in any of the last four cycles. Christine Hallquist, Brenda Siegel, and David Zuckerman were each worthy contenders. (Esther Charlestin not so much, in terms of credentials and experience.) But they didn’t have the name recognition required to take on an incumbent governor, the Vermont Democratic Party gave them no more than lip service, and the donor base kept their wallets closed.

Back to my mini-listicle. Second, Copeland Hanzas’ early announcement means that once she decided on her next move, she made it public. That clears the way for others, unlike Pieciak’s will-he-won’t-he routine. (But that’s my third point.) Copeland Hanzas not only cleared the way for other gubernatorial candidates, but also candidates for the number-two slot.

I’ve heard that Copeland Hanzas has been urged to run for lieutenant governor. If so, I’m a little surprised she didn’t. I see John Rodgers as eminently beatable. He barely squeaked by in a wave Republican year against an incumbent who, shall we say, didn’t enjoy the enthusiastic backing of the Democratic Party. Sure, Rodgers has made all the anti-Trump noises you never hear from Phil Scott, but he’s also suing his home town over a road dispute, some of his policy positions are really out there, and he’s prone to obnoxious howlers. Copeland Hanzas could have beaten Rodgers. And while LG may be an office without authority, it’s the second biggest bully pulpit in state politics and a step up the ladder toward the corner office. But hey, maybe Copeland Hanzas enjoys being Secretary of State. It’s been known to happen.

Third, finally. Copeland Hanzas’ declaration puts pressure on Clark and Pieciak to make a move. They can’t say it’s too early to talk 2026 anymore.

Both are well positioned for a run, acknowledging that the presumed opponent is the thousand-pound gorilla of Vermont politics. Clark’s profile has never been higher, thanks to the Palpatine wannabe in the White House. She has joined lawsuit after lawsuit challenging Trump’s various illegal and/or unconstitutional actions. And thanks to Scott’s shrinking-violet routine regarding Trump, she’s been handed a way to draw a clear line between herself and the governor. His undermining of her Trump-fighting efforts, on two occasions that we know of so far, put her in great position to take advantage of the great anti-Trump backlash of 2026. This might actually be the moment we’ve been waiting for: when Scott’s seemingly impervious Teflon coat begins to erode.

As for Pieciak, well, he makes himself available wherever two or more are gathered, as they say. He showed up at a July garden party for a local Indivisible chapter, for Pete’s sake. (For Piec’s sake?) He co-founded the Vermont Immigration Legal Defense Fund, an effort to defend the rights of immigrants that just hit the $250,000 mark. The press release machines of his office and campaign are always running full tilt. I’ve also heard that he’s been making the rounds at out-of-state fundraisers. (He didn’t report significant fundraising at the July reporting deadline; was he staying on the sidelines, or was he playing possum? We won’t find out for sure until the next deadline in March 2026.

That is, unless he graces us with an announcement of some sort.

I’ve said this before, but conventional wisdom is that the Democratic gubernatorial nomination is effective his — if he wants it. And he’s doing everything he can to retain pole position in the coming race. And now, after Copeland Hanzas made her 2026 intentions clear, Pieciak can’t hide behind the Phil Scott rope-a-dope routine of not announcing until the Legislature adjourns during an election year.

Or let’s hope he won’t, anyway.