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Vermont gubernatorial election, 2026

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2024
Governor of Vermont
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
Democratic primary
Republican primary
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.
Voting in Vermont

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
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
Attorney General
Secretary of State
Auditor
Treasurer

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

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

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
Image of Phil Scott
Phil Scott (R)
Image of Esther Charlestin
Esther Charlestin (D)

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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:

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.

You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:

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 trackerRace ratings
12/23/202512/16/202512/9/202512/2/2025
The Cook Political Report with Amy WalterSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallLikely RepublicanLikely RepublicanLikely RepublicanLikely 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
Image of Phil Scott
Phil Scott (R)
 
73.4
 
266,439
Image of Esther Charlestin
Esther Charlestin (D / Vermont Progressive Party) Candidate Connection
 
21.8
 
79,217
Image of Kevin Hoyt
Kevin Hoyt (Independent)
 
2.6
 
9,368
Image of June Goodband
June Goodband (Green Mountain Peace and Justice Party) Candidate Connection
 
1.2
 
4,512
Image of Poa Mutino
Poa Mutino (Independent)
 
0.7
 
2,414
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.2
 
891

Total votes: 362,841
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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

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
Image of Esther Charlestin
Esther Charlestin Candidate Connection
 
62.3
 
24,007
Image of Peter Duval
Peter Duval
 
24.3
 
9,377
 Other/Write-in votes
 
13.4
 
5,159

Total votes: 38,543
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.

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
Image of Phil Scott
Phil Scott
 
98.1
 
23,173
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.9
 
448

Total votes: 23,621
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.

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 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.

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
Image of Phil Scott
Phil Scott (R)
 
71.0
 
202,147
Image of Brenda Siegel
Brenda Siegel (D / Vermont Progressive Party)
 
24.0
 
68,248
Image of Kevin Hoyt
Kevin Hoyt (Independent)
 
2.1
 
6,022
Image of Peter Duval
Peter Duval (Independent)
 
1.7
 
4,723
Image of Bernard Peters
Bernard Peters (Independent)
 
0.8
 
2,315
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.5
 
1,346

Total votes: 284,801
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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

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
Image of Brenda Siegel
Brenda Siegel
 
85.9
 
56,288
 Other/Write-in votes
 
14.1
 
9,235

Total votes: 65,523
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.

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
Image of Phil Scott
Phil Scott
 
68.6
 
20,319
Image of Stephen Bellows
Stephen Bellows
 
18.2
 
5,402
Image of Peter Duval
Peter Duval
 
12.2
 
3,627
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.0
 
290

Total votes: 29,638
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.

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
Image of Susan Hatch Davis
Susan Hatch Davis
 
87.4
 
470
 Other/Write-in votes
 
12.6
 
68

Total votes: 538
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.

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
Image of Phil Scott
Phil Scott (R)
 
68.5
 
248,412
Image of David Zuckerman
David Zuckerman (Vermont Progressive Party / D)
 
27.4
 
99,214
Image of Kevin Hoyt
Kevin Hoyt (Independent)
 
1.3
 
4,576
Image of Emily Peyton
Emily Peyton (Truth Matters Party)
 
1.0
 
3,505
Image of Erynn Whitney
Erynn Whitney (Independent)
 
0.5
 
1,777
Image of Wayne Billado III
Wayne Billado III (Independent)
 
0.4
 
1,431
Image of Michael Devost
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 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.

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Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

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
Image of David Zuckerman
David Zuckerman
 
47.6
 
48,150
Image of Rebecca Holcombe
Rebecca Holcombe
 
37.1
 
37,599
Image of Patrick Winburn
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 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.

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
Image of Phil Scott
Phil Scott
 
72.7
 
42,275
Image of John Klar
John Klar Candidate Connection
 
21.9
 
12,762
Image of Emily Peyton
Emily Peyton
 
1.7
 
970
Image of Douglas Cavett
Douglas Cavett
 
1.7
 
966
Image of Bernard Peters
Bernard Peters
 
1.3
 
772
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.7
 
426

Total votes: 58,171
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.

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
Image of David Zuckerman
David Zuckerman (Write-in)
 
32.6
 
273
Image of Cris Ericson
Cris Ericson
 
30.3
 
254
Image of Boots Wardinski
Boots Wardinski
 
28.5
 
239
 Other/Write-in votes
 
8.6
 
72

Total votes: 838
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.

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.


See also: Presidential voting trends in Vermont and The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Cook PVI by congressional district

Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for Vermont, 2026
District Incumbent PVI
Vermont's At-Large Becca Balint D+17

2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines

2024 presidential results in congressional districts, Vermont
District Kamala Harris Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
Vermont's At-Large 64.0% 33.0%
Source: The Downballot

2016-2024

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 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:


Following the 2024 presidential election, 94.8% of Vermonters lived in one of the state's 12 Solid Democratic counties, which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 4.2% lived in one of 1 New Republican counties. Overall, Vermont was Solid Democratic, having voted for Hillary Clinton (D) in 2016, Joe Biden (D) in 2020, and Kamala Harris (D) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Vermont following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.

Historical voting trends

Vermont presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 10 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 2024
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 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

See also: List of United States Senators from Vermont

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
2024 63.2%Grey.png (Independent) 32.1%Republican Party
2022 68.5%Democratic Party 28.0%Republican Party
2018 67.4%Grey.png (Independent) 27.5%Republican Party
2016 61.3%Democratic Party 33.0%Republican Party
2012 71.0%Grey.png (Independent) 24.9%Republican Party
Average 66.3 29.1

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
2024 73.4%Republican Party 21.8%Grey.png (Progressive Party)
2022 71.0%Republican Party 24.0%Grey.png (Progressive Party)
2020 68.5%Republican Party 27.3%Grey.png (Progressive Party)
2018 55.2%Republican Party 40.2%Democratic Party
2016 52.9%Republican Party 44.2%Democratic Party
Average 64.2 31.5
See also: Party control of Vermont state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Vermont's congressional delegation as of October 2025.

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 October 2025.

State executive officials in Vermont, October 2025
Office Officeholder
Governor Republican Party Phil Scott
Lieutenant Governor Republican Party John Rodgers
Secretary of State Democratic Party Sarah Copeland Hanzas
Attorney General Democratic Party Charity Clark

State legislature

Vermont State Senate

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 16
     Republican Party 13
     Vermont Progressive Party 1
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 30

Vermont House of Representatives

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 87
     Republican Party 56
     Vermont Progressive Party 3
     Independent 4
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 150

Trifecta control

Vermont Party Control: 1992-2025
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 25
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 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 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 D

The table below details demographic data in Vermont and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.

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 91.4% 63.4%
Black/African American 1.2% 12.4%
Asian 1.7% 5.8%
Native American 0.2% 0.9%
Pacific Islander 0.2% 0.4%
Other (single race) 0.7% 6.6%
Multiple 4.8% 10.7%
Hispanic/Latino 2.5% 19%
Education
High school graduation rate 94.5% 89.4%
College graduation rate 42.6% 35%
Income
Median household income $78,024 $78,538
Persons below poverty level 10.3% 12.4%
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 2018-2023).
**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.

Gubernatorial elections in 2026

There are 36 gubernatorial seats on the ballot in 2026.

See also

Vermont State Executive Elections News and Analysis
Seal of Vermont.png
StateExecLogo.png
Ballotpedia RSS.jpg
Vermont State Executive Offices
Vermont State Legislature
Vermont Courts
20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Vermont elections: 20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Party control of state government
State government trifectas
State of the state addresses
Partisan composition of governors

External links

Footnotes

  1. Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  2. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  3. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  4. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018