Vermont gubernatorial election, 2024 (August 13 Democratic primary)
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| Governor of Vermont |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: May 30, 2024 |
| Primary: August 13, 2024 General: November 5, 2024 Pre-election incumbent(s): Phil 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 |
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican Inside Elections: Solid Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2024 Impact of term limits in 2024 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024 |
| Vermont executive elections |
| Governor Lieutenant Governor |
A Democratic Party primary took place on August 13, 2024, in Vermont to determine which candidate would earn the right to run as the party's nominee in the state's gubernatorial election on November 5, 2024.
Esther Charlestin advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of Vermont.
This was one of 11 gubernatorial elections that took place in 2024. The governor serves as a state's top executive official and is the only executive office elected in all 50 states. At the time of the 2024 elections, there were 27 Republican governors and 23 Democratic governors. Click here for an overview of all 11 gubernatorial elections that took place in 2024.
Heading into the 2024 elections, there were 23 Republican trifectas, 17 Democratic trifectas, and 10 divided governments where neither party held trifecta control. There were 25 Republican triplexes, 20 Democratic triplexes, and five divided governments where neither party held triplex control.
A state government trifecta refers to a situation where one party controls a state's governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. A state government triplex refers to a situation where the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state are all members of the same political party.
This page focuses on Vermont's Democratic Party gubernatorial primary. For more in-depth information on Vermont's Republican gubernatorial primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- Vermont gubernatorial election, 2024 (August 13 Republican primary)
- Vermont gubernatorial election, 2024
Candidates and election results
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Vermont
Esther Charlestin defeated Peter Duval in the Democratic primary for Governor of Vermont on August 13, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Esther Charlestin  | 62.3 | 24,007 |
 | Peter Duval | 24.3 | 9,377 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 13.4 | 5,159 | ||
| Total votes: 38,543 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I am a Mother, an Educator, a Small Business owner, and a Public Servant. There are many reasons why I am running to be the next Governor of Vermont, but the biggest reason is to create a better, more livable state for my two children. After years of working in education, I ran and won a seat on the Middlebury Select board, and in 2023 received a Leahy award for exceptional leadership in the community. I was overwhelmingly re-elected to my seat, ranking as the top vote getter in the race. One of my great strengths as a prospective Governor is my lived experience. The empathy I have for those in our communities that often are with out voices or seats at the table I believe is an imperative in our leader. I have dealt with the struggles of a lack of affordable housing. I have seen first hand the damage of climate change disasters. I have spent years in education witnessing the issues of a system that is underfunded and yet still disproportionately expensive for working families. The other key strength I bring to this race is a passionate proactivity. We live in a world where the issues of tomorrow are not far in the distance. They are here. We need a governor who will proactively work with others to find comprehensive solutions, and fast. That is what I promise to do. Inaction is not a luxury we can afford."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of Vermont in 2024.
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Vermont
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
| Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for Vermont, 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| District | Incumbent | Party | PVI |
| Vermont's At-Large | Becca Balint |  Democratic |
D+16 |
2020 presidential results by 2024 congressional district lines
| 2020 presidential results in congressional districts based on 2024 district lines, Vermont[1] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Joe Biden 
|
Donald Trump 
| ||
| Vermont's At-Large | 66.4% | 30.8% | ||
2012-2020
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2020 presidential election, 99.1% of Vermonters lived in one of the state's 13 Solid Democratic counties, which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020, and 0.9% lived Essex County, the state's one Trending Republican county. Overall, Vermont was Solid Democratic, having voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2012, Hillary Clinton (D) in 2016, and Joe Biden (D) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Vermont following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| Vermont county-level statistics, 2020 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Democratic | 13 | 99.1% | |||||
| Trending Republican | 1 | 0.9% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 13 | 99.1% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 1 | 0.9% | |||||
Historical voting trends
Vermont presidential election results (1900-2020)
- 9 Democratic wins
- 22 Republican wins
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Vermont.
| U.S. Senate election results in Vermont | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Winner | Runner up |
| 2022 | 68.5% |
28.0%
|
| 2018 | 67.4% (Independent) |
27.5%
|
| 2016 | 61.3% |
33.0%
|
| 2012 | 71.0% (Independent) |
24.9%
|
| 2010 | 64.4% |
30.9%
|
| Average | 65.9 | 29.7 |
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of Vermont
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Vermont.
| Gubernatorial election results in Vermont | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Winner | Runner up |
| 2022 | 71.0% |
24.0% (Progressive Party)
|
| 2020 | 68.5% |
27.3% (Progressive Party)
|
| 2018 | 55.2% |
40.2%
|
| 2016 | 52.9% |
44.2%
|
| 2014 | 46.4% |
45.1%
|
| Average | 56.2 | 38.9 |
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of Vermont's congressional delegation as of May 2024.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Vermont | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 1 | 3 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in Vermont's top four state executive offices as of May 2024.
| State executive officials in Vermont, May 2024 | |
|---|---|
| Office | Officeholder |
| Governor | Phil Scott
|
| Lieutenant Governor | David Zuckerman
|
| Secretary of State | Sarah Copeland Hanzas
|
| Attorney General | Charity Clark
|
State legislature
Vermont State Senate
| Party | As of February 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 22 | |
| Republican Party | 7 | |
| Vermont Progressive Party | 1 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 30 | |
Vermont House of Representatives
| Party | As of February 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 106 | |
| Republican Party | 37 | |
| Vermont Progressive Party | 3 | |
| Independent | 3 | |
| Libertarian Party | 1 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 150 | |
Trifecta control
The table below shows the state's trifecta status from 1992 until the 2024 election.
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 |
The table below details demographic data in Vermont and compares it to the broader United States as of 2022.
| Demographic Data for Vermont | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vermont | United States | |
| Population | 643,077 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 9,217 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 92.3% | 65.9% |
| Black/African American | 1.2% | 12.5% |
| Asian | 1.7% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.2% |
| Other (single race) | 0.6% | 6% |
| Multiple | 4% | 8.8% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 2.1% | 18.7% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 94.2% | 89.1% |
| College graduation rate | 41.7% | 34.3% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $74,014 | $75,149 |
| Persons below poverty level | 5.9% | 8.8% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2017-2022). | ||
| **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. | ||
State profile
| Demographic data for Vermont | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vermont | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 626,088 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 9,217 | 3,531,905 |
| 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. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Vermont
Vermont voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, one is located in Vermont, accounting for 0.5 percent of the total pivot counties.[2]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Vermont had one Retained Pivot County, 0.55 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Vermont coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Vermont
- United States congressional delegations from Vermont
- Public policy in Vermont
- Endorsers in Vermont
- Vermont fact checks
- More...
See also
| Vermont | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012," accessed December 15, 2023
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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