Vermont gubernatorial election, 2026
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← 2024
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| Governor of Vermont |
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| General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: May 28, 2026 |
| Primary: August 11, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
Open between 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.; close at 7 p.m. |
| Race ratings |
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely Republican Inside Elections: Solid Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2026 Impact of term limits in 2026 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| Vermont executive elections |
| Governor Lieutenant Governor |
Vermont is holding an election for governor on November 3, 2026.
To learn more about other elections on the ballot, click here.
Candidates and election results
Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:
- Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
- Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for Governor of Vermont
Incumbent Phil Scott and Esther Charlestin are running in the general election for Governor of Vermont on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Phil Scott (R) | |
 | Esther Charlestin (D) | |
| ||||
 = 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
There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here. You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:
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Voting information
- See also: Voting in Vermont
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
Republican-held governorship in state Harris won
- See also: Gubernatorial elections, 2026
This is one of two governorships Republicans are defending in states Kamala Harris (D) won in 2024: New Hampshire and Vermont.
Democrats are defending five governorships in a state that President Donald Trump (R) won in 2024: Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
The table below shows which states are holding gubernatorial elections in 2026 and the last presidential and gubernatorial margin of victory in each. Click on the bar below to expand the table.
| State | Incumbent | Last time office changed parties | 2024 presidential result | 2024 gubernatorial result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Kay Ivey | 2002 | R+30.5 | R+38.0 |
| Alaska | Mike Dunleavy | 2018 | R+13.1 | R+26.1 |
| Arizona | Katie Hobbs | 2022 | R+5.5 | D+0.7 |
| Arkansas | Sarah Huckabee Sanders | 2014 | R+30.6 | R+27.8 |
| California | Gavin Newsom | 2010 | D+20.2 | D+18.4 |
| Colorado | Jared Polis | 2006 | D+11.0 | D+19.3 |
| Connecticut | Ned Lamont | 2010 | D+14.5 | D+12.8 |
| Florida | Ron DeSantis | 2010 | R+13.1 | R+19.4 |
| Georgia | Brian Kemp | 2002 | R+2.2 | R+7.5 |
| Hawaii | Joshua Green | 2010 | D+23.1 | D+26.4 |
| Idaho | Brad Little | 1994 | R+36.5 | R+40.2 |
| Illinois | J.B. Pritzker | 2018 | D+10.9 | D+12.0 |
| Iowa | Kim Reynolds | 2010 | R+13.2 | R+18.6 |
| Kansas | Laura Kelly | 2018 | R+16.2 | D+2.1 |
| Maine | Janet T. Mills | 2018 | D+6.9 | D+12.9 |
| Maryland | Wes Moore | 2022 | D+28.5 | D+32.5 |
| Massachusetts | Maura Healey | 2022 | D+25.2 | D+29.1 |
| Michigan | Gretchen Whitmer | 2018 | R+1.4 | D+10.6 |
| Minnesota | Tim Walz | 2010 | D+4.2 | D+7.7 |
| Nebraska | Jim Pillen | 1998 | R+20.3 | R+23.4 |
| Nevada | Joe Lombardo | 2022 | R+3.1 | R+1.5 |
| New Hampshire | Kelly Ayotte | 2016 | D+2.8 | R+9.3 |
| New Mexico | Michelle Lujan Grisham | 2018 | D+6.0 | D+6.4 |
| New York | Kathy Hochul | 2006 | D+12.6 | D+5.8 |
| Ohio | Mike DeWine | 2010 | R+11.2 | R+25.6 |
| Oklahoma | Kevin Stitt | 2010 | R+34.3 | R+13.6 |
| Oregon | Tina Kotek | 1986 | D+14.3 | D+3.4 |
| Pennsylvania | Josh Shapiro | 2014 | R+1.7 | D+14.8 |
| Rhode Island | Daniel McKee | 2010 | D+13.7 | D+19.1 |
| South Carolina | Henry McMaster | 2002 | R+17.8 | R+17.4 |
| South Dakota | Larry Rhoden | 1978 | R+29.2 | R+26.8 |
| Tennessee | Bill Lee | 2010 | R+29.7 | R+32.0 |
| Texas | Greg Abbott | 1994 | R+13.6 | R+10.9 |
| Vermont | Phil Scott | 2016 | D+31.5 | R+51.6 |
| Wisconsin | Tony Evers | 2018 | R+0.9 | D+3.4 |
| Wyoming | Mark Gordon | 2010 | R+45.8 | R+61.9 |
General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]
| Race ratings: Vermont gubernatorial election, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 9/30/2025 | 9/23/2025 | 9/16/2025 | 9/9/2025 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. | |||||||||
Past elections
The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.
2024
- See also: Vermont gubernatorial election, 2024
General election
General election for Governor of Vermont
Incumbent Phil Scott defeated Esther Charlestin, Kevin Hoyt, June Goodband, and Poa Mutino in the general election for Governor of Vermont on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Phil Scott (R) | 73.4 | 266,439 |
| Esther Charlestin (D / Vermont Progressive Party) | 21.8 | 79,217 | |
 | Kevin Hoyt (Independent) | 2.6 | 9,368 | |
 | June Goodband (Green Mountain Peace and Justice Party) | 1.2 | 4,512 | |
 | Poa Mutino (Independent) | 0.7 | 2,414 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 891 | ||
| Total votes: 362,841 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Marielle Blais (Vermont Progressive Party)
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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Vermont
Incumbent Phil Scott advanced from the Republican primary for Governor of Vermont on August 13, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Phil Scott | 98.1 | 23,173 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.9 | 448 | ||
| Total votes: 23,621 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Vermont Progressive Party primary election
Vermont Progressive Party primary for Governor of Vermont
Marielle Blais advanced from the Vermont Progressive Party primary for Governor of Vermont on August 13, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Marielle Blais | 78.1 | 268 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 21.9 | 75 | ||
| Total votes: 343 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2022
- See also: Vermont gubernatorial election, 2022
General election
General election for Governor of Vermont
Incumbent Phil Scott defeated Brenda Siegel, Kevin Hoyt, Peter Duval, and Bernard Peters in the general election for Governor of Vermont on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Phil Scott (R) | 71.0 | 202,147 |
 | Brenda Siegel (D / Vermont Progressive Party) | 24.0 | 68,248 | |
| Kevin Hoyt (Independent) | 2.1 | 6,022 | |
| Peter Duval (Independent) | 1.7 | 4,723 | |
 | Bernard Peters (Independent) | 0.8 | 2,315 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 1,346 | ||
| Total votes: 284,801 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Susan Hatch Davis (Vermont Progressive Party)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Vermont
Brenda Siegel advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of Vermont on August 9, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Brenda Siegel | 85.9 | 56,288 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 14.1 | 9,235 | ||
| Total votes: 65,523 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Vermont
Incumbent Phil Scott defeated Stephen Bellows and Peter Duval in the Republican primary for Governor of Vermont on August 9, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Phil Scott | 68.6 | 20,319 |
 | Stephen Bellows | 18.2 | 5,402 | |
| Peter Duval | 12.2 | 3,627 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.0 | 290 | ||
| Total votes: 29,638 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Vermont Progressive Party primary election
Vermont Progressive Party primary for Governor of Vermont
Susan Hatch Davis advanced from the Vermont Progressive Party primary for Governor of Vermont on August 9, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Susan Hatch Davis | 87.4 | 470 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 12.6 | 68 | ||
| Total votes: 538 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2020
- See also: Vermont gubernatorial election, 2020
General election
General election for Governor of Vermont
The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Vermont on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Phil Scott (R) | 68.5 | 248,412 |
 | David Zuckerman (Vermont Progressive Party / D) | 27.4 | 99,214 | |
| Kevin Hoyt (Independent) | 1.3 | 4,576 | |
 | Emily Peyton (Truth Matters Party) | 1.0 | 3,505 | |
 | Erynn Whitney (Independent) | 0.5 | 1,777 | |
 | Wayne Billado III (Independent) | 0.4 | 1,431 | |
 | Michael Devost (Independent) | 0.3 | 1,160 | |
| Charly Dickerson (Independent) | 0.3 | 1,037 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.4 | 1,599 | ||
| Total votes: 362,711 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- John Klar (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Vermont
David Zuckerman defeated Rebecca Holcombe, Patrick Winburn, and Ralph Corbo in the Democratic primary for Governor of Vermont on August 11, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | David Zuckerman | 47.6 | 48,150 |
 | Rebecca Holcombe | 37.1 | 37,599 | |
 | Patrick Winburn | 7.6 | 7,662 | |
| Ralph Corbo | 1.3 | 1,288 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 6.5 | 6,533 | ||
| Total votes: 101,232 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Vermont
Incumbent Phil Scott defeated John Klar, Emily Peyton, Douglas Cavett, and Bernard Peters in the Republican primary for Governor of Vermont on August 11, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Phil Scott | 72.7 | 42,275 |
 | John Klar | 21.9 | 12,762 | |
| Emily Peyton | 1.7 | 970 | |
 | Douglas Cavett | 1.7 | 966 | |
| Bernard Peters | 1.3 | 772 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.7 | 426 | ||
| Total votes: 58,171 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Vermont Progressive Party primary election
Vermont Progressive Party primary for Governor of Vermont
David Zuckerman defeated Cris Ericson and Boots Wardinski in the Vermont Progressive Party primary for Governor of Vermont on August 11, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | David Zuckerman (Write-in) | 32.6 | 273 |
 | Cris Ericson | 30.3 | 254 | |
 | Boots Wardinski | 28.5 | 239 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 8.6 | 72 | ||
| Total votes: 838 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Election analysis
This section will contain facts and figures related to this state's elections when those are available.
Gubernatorial elections in 2026
There are 36 gubernatorial seats on the ballot in 2026.
See also
| Vermont | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
