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Vermont gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 14 Republican primary)

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Governor of Vermont
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: May 31, 2018
Primary: August 14, 2018
General: November 6, 2018
Pre-election incumbent(s):
Phillip Scott (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: Open between 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.; close at 7 p.m.
Voting in Vermont
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2018
Impact of term limits in 2018
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
Vermont
executive elections
Governor

Lieutenant governor
Attorney general
Secretary of state
Treasurer
Auditor

A Republican Party primary election took place on August 14, 2018, in Vermont to determine which candidate would run as the party's nominee in the state's November 6, 2018, gubernatorial election.


For more information about gubernatorial elections in 2018, click here.

SETTING THE STAGE
  • Heading into the 2018 election, the governor of Vermont was Phillip Scott (R), who was first elected in 2016.
  • In 2018, Vermont was under a divided government. It had held this status since Scott took office in January 2017. Vermont was also under divided triplex control.
  • The Democratic candidate won Vermont in each presidential election between 2000 and 2016. The widest margin of victory was Barack Obama's 37 percent margin in 2008 while the narrowest was Al Gore's 10 percent margin in 2000.

    • Vermont was one of 36 states that held an election for governor in 2018. Democrats gained seven previously Republican-held seats, and Republicans gained one previously independent-held seat. Heading into the 2018 elections, there were 16 Democratic governors, 33 Republican governors, and one independent governor. In 2018, 26 of the 33 states with a Republican governor held a gubernatorial election, while nine out of the 16 states with a Democratic governor held a gubernatorial election. Seventeen of the 36 seats up for election were open seats (four Democratic, 12 Republican, and one independent), meaning that the sitting governor was not seeking re-election. Click here for more information on other 2018 gubernatorial elections.

    Candidates and election results

    See also: Statistics on gubernatorial candidates, 2018

    Incumbent Phil Scott defeated Keith Stern in the Republican primary for Governor of Vermont on August 14, 2018.

    Republican primary election

    Republican primary for Governor of Vermont

    Candidate
    %
    Votes
    ✔
    Image of Phil Scott
    		Phil Scott
     
    67.4
     
    		24,142
    Image of Keith Stern
    		Keith Stern
     
    32.6
     
    		11,669

    Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

    		Total votes: 35,811
    Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
    If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

    Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

    Context of the 2018 election

    Past elections

    2016

    See also: Vermont gubernatorial election, 2016

    In the 2016 Republican primary, Phil Scott defeated Bruce Lisman by a 20.7 percent margin.[3]

    Republican primary for governor, 2016
    Candidate Vote % Votes
    Green check mark transparent.png Phil Scott 59.77% 27,728
    Bruce Lisman 39.04% 18,113
    Write-in votes 1.19% 553
    Total Votes (275 of 275 Precincts Reporting) 46,394
    Source: Vermont Secretary of State

    Voter information

    How the primary works

    A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Vermont utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[4][5]

    For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

    Poll times

    In Vermont, all polls must open by 10 a.m. All polls close at 7 p.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[6]

    Registration requirements

    Check your voter registration status here.

    A United States citizen and state resident who is at least 18 years of age may register to vote in Vermont. The registrant must take the "Voter's Oath," which is included on the voter registration form.[7][8]

    According to the secretary of state's website, "Beginning January 1, 2017, eligible persons may register to vote on any day up to and including the day of the election. Registration is available during all normal business hours of your town or city clerk's office on days preceding the election and during polling hours on Election Day. "[7]

    Automatic registration

    Vermont automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles.[8]

    Online registration

    See also: Online voter registration

    Vermont has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

    Same-day registration

    Vermont allows same-day voter registration.[7]

    Residency requirements

    To register to vote in Vermont, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.[7]

    Verification of citizenship

    See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

    Vermont does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

    As of November 2024, Burlington, Vermont had authorized noncitizen residents to vote in local board elections. Noncitizens must register to vote using a separate application from the state voter registration application.[9]

    All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[10] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

    Verifying your registration

    The My Voter Page, run by the Vermont Secretary of State office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.


    Voter ID requirements

    Vermont does not require voters to present identification while voting in most cases. However, first-time voters who registered by mail are required to present identification at the polls.[11]

    The following list of accepted ID was current as of April 2023. Click here for the Vermont Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

    • Valid photo ID (driver’s license or passport)
    • Current utility bill
    • Current bank statement
    • Another government document containing your residential address

    Early voting

    Vermont permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

    Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

    Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

    Absentee voting

    For general elections, Vermont holds what are commonly referred to as all-mail elections, meaning that voting is conducting primarily, although not necessarily exclusively, by mail. Election officials automatically distribute mail-in ballots to eligible electors in general elections. For primary elections, voters who wish to vote by mail must request a mail-in ballot.

    State overview

    Partisan control

    This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Vermont heading into the 2018 elections.

    Congressional delegation

    State executives

    • As of September 2018, Democrats held four of 10 state executive positions, Republicans held one, and the remaining five positions were officially nonpartisan.
    • The governor of Vermont was Republican Phil Scott. The state held elections for governor on November 6, 2018.

    State legislature

    • Democrats controlled both chambers of the Vermont General Assembly. They had a 80-53 majority in the state House and a 21-7 majority in the state Senate.

    Trifecta status

    • Vermont was under divided government, meaning that the two parties shared control of the state government. Phil Scott (R) served as governor, while Democrats controlled the state legislature.

    2018 elections

    See also: Vermont elections, 2018

    Vermont held elections for the following positions in 2018:

    Demographics

    Demographic data for Vermont
     VermontU.S.
    Total population:626,088316,515,021
    Land area (sq mi):9,2173,531,905
    Race and ethnicity**
    White:94.9%73.6%
    Black/African American:1.1%12.6%
    Asian:1.4%5.1%
    Native American:0.3%0.8%
    Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
    Two or more:1.9%3%
    Hispanic/Latino:1.7%17.1%
    Education
    High school graduation rate:91.8%86.7%
    College graduation rate:36%29.8%
    Income
    Median household income:$55,176$53,889
    Persons below poverty level:13.2%11.3%
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
    Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Vermont.
    **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

    As of July 2016, Vermont's largest cities by population were Burlington (pop. est. 42,239), Essex (pop. est. 21,519), and South Burlington (pop. est. 19,141).[12]

    State election history

    This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Vermont from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Vermont Secretary of State.[13]

    Historical elections

    Presidential elections

    This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Vermont every year from 2000 to 2016.

    Election results (President of the United States), Vermont 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 56.7% Republican Party Donald Trump 30.3% 26.4%
    2012 Democratic Party Barack Obama 66.8% Republican Party Mitt Romney 31.1% 35.7%
    2008 Democratic Party Barack Obama 67.5% Republican Party John McCain 30.4% 37.1%
    2004 Democratic Party John Kerry 58.9% Republican Party George W. Bush 38.8% 20.1%
    2000 Democratic Party Al Gore 50.6% Republican Party George W. Bush 40.7% 9.9%

    U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Vermont from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

    Election results (U.S. Senator), Vermont 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Democratic Party Patrick Leahy 61.3% Republican Party Scott Milne 33.0% 28.3%
    2012 Grey.png Bernie Sanders 71.0% Republican Party John Macgovern 24.9% 46.1%
    2010 Republican Party Patrick Leahy 64.3% Democratic Party Len Britton 30.9% 33.4%
    2006 Democratic Party Bernie Sanders 65.4% Republican Party Rich Tarrant 32.4% 33.0%
    2004 Democratic Party Patrick Leahy 70.6% Republican Party Jack McMullen 24.5% 46.1%
    2000 Republican Party James M. Jeffords 65.6% Democratic Party Ed Flanagan 25.4% 40.2%

    Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every two years in Vermont.

    Election results (Governor), Vermont 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Republican Party Phil Scott 52.9% Democratic Party Sue Minter 44.2% 8.7%
    2014 Democratic Party Peter Shumlin 46.5% Republican Party Scott Milne 45.2% 1.3%
    2012 Democratic Party Peter Shumlin 58.0% Republican Party Randy Brock 37.7% 20.3%
    2010 Democratic Party Peter Shumlin 49.5% Republican Party Brian Dubie 47.7% 1.8%
    2008 Republican Party Jim Douglas 53.4% Grey.png Anthony Pollina 21.9% 31.5%
    2006 Republican Party Jim Douglas 56.4% Democratic Party Scudder Parker 41.2% 15.2%
    2004 Republican Party Jim Douglas 58.7% Democratic Party Peter Clavelle 37.9% 20.8%
    2002 Republican Party Jim Douglas 44.9% Democratic Party Doug Racine 42.4% 2.5%
    2000 Democratic Party Howard Dean 50.5% Republican Party Ruth Dwyer 37.9% 12.6%

    Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

    See the list below for the members elected to represent Vermont in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Vermont has one at-large representative in the House. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

    Trifectas, 1992-2017

    “A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.”

    Vermont Party Control: 1992-2024
    Ten years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
    Governor D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D R R R R R R R R
    Senate D R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
    House R D D D D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D


    Pivot Counties

    See also: Pivot Counties by state

    One of 14 Vermont counties—7.14 percent—is a Pivot County. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

    Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
    County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
    Essex County, Vermont 16.65% 13.40% 14.48%

    In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won Vermont with 56.7 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 30.3 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Vermont cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 60.0 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Vermont supported Republican candidates for president more often than Democratic candidates, 70.0 to 26.7 percent. The state, however, favored Democrats in every election between between 2000 and 2016.

    Presidential results by legislative district

    The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Vermont. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[14][15]

    In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won all 104 state House districts in Vermont with an average margin of victory of 35.6 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 92 out of 104 state House districts in Vermont with an average margin of victory of 29.4 points. Clinton won 27 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
    In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 12 out of 104 state House districts in Vermont with an average margin of victory of 6.1 points.

    Recent news

    The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Vermont governor Republican primary 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

    Vermont gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 14 Republican primary) - Google News

    See also

    Vermont government:

    Elections:

    Ballotpedia exclusives:

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Polls may have opened earlier than 10:00 a.m.; 10:00 a.m. was the latest poll opening time.
    2. ↑ Polls may have opened earlier than 10:00 a.m.; 10:00 a.m. was the latest poll opening time.
    3. ↑ Vermont Secretary of State, "2016 August Primary Winners Listing," accessed September 19, 2017
    4. ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed October 4, 2024
    5. ↑ Vermont Secretary of State,"Party Organization," accessed October 4, 2024
    6. ↑ Vermont State Legislature, “17 V.S.A. § 2561,” accessed April 20, 2023
    7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Vermont Secretary of State, "Voter Registration," accessed April 20, 2023
    8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Vermont Secretary of State, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed April 20, 2023
    9. ↑ City of Burlington, Vermont, "City of Burlington All Legal Resident Voter Registration Form," accessed November 14, 2024
    10. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
    11. ↑ Vermont Secretary of State, "Election Day FAQs," accessed April 20, 2023
    12. ↑ Vermont Demographics, "Vermont Cities by Population," accessed September 6, 2018
    13. ↑ Vermont Secretary of State, "Election Results Archive," accessed September 6, 2018
    14. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
    15. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
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