The 2020 Vermont gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the

Governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

. As

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

does not impose term limits upon its governors, incumbent

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Governor

Phil Scott Philip Brian Scott (born August 4, 1958) is an American politician, businessman and stock car racer who has served as the 82nd governor of Vermont since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected governor in the 2016 general electi ...

was eligible to run for reelection to a third two-year term in office. On November 18, 2019, he confirmed that he was running for reelection, but did not yet publicly announce his campaign. On May 28, 2020, he officially announced his candidacy but stated that he would not campaign, maintain a campaign staff, or fundraise because of the state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Vermont. The primary was held on August 11. Scott won re-election to a third term in a landslide, defeating Progressive and Democratic nominee, Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman. Scott's 41-point victory margin was the largest in a Vermont gubernatorial election since 1996 and the largest for a Republican candidate since

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 crashes in a snowstorm. All 19 ...

, even while Democrat Joe Biden carried the state by a more than the 35-point margin in the concurrent presidential election which was his strongest performance in the nation. Scott would improve upon his performance again in 2022.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

, incumbent

Eliminated in primary

* John Klar, lawyer and pastor * Bernard Peters, independent candidate for governor in

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

and for state representative in 1986 * Emily Peyton, independent candidate for governor in 2012 and 2014, Liberty Union nominee for governor in 2018 * Douglas Cavett

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

* David Zuckerman,

Lieutenant Governor of Vermont The lieutenant governor of Vermont is elected for a two-year term and chosen separately from the governor. The Vermont Lieutenant Governor's main responsibilities include acting as governor when the governor is out of state or incapacitated, presi ...

, former member of the

Vermont Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-m ...

, former member of the Vermont House of Representatives, farmer, businessman, environmentalist ''(Zuckerman has elected to use the Progressive Party ballot line in the general election, listing the Democratic Party as a secondary nomination under Vermont's electoral fusion system.)''

Eliminated in primary

* Rebecca Holcombe, former Vermont Education Secretary * Ralph "Carcajou" Corbo, former Rural Carrier for

USPS The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...

, activist, Wallingford resident, and 2020 candidate for

Vermont's at-large congressional district Vermont has been represented in the United States House of Representatives by a single at-large congressional district since the 1930 census, when the state lost its second seat, obsoleting its 1st and 2nd congressional districts. There were on ...

* Patrick Winburn, Bennington attorney

Declined

* T. J. Donovan,

Attorney General of Vermont The Vermont Attorney General is a statewide elected executive official in the U.S. state of Vermont who is elected every two years. It was created by an act of the Vermont General Assembly in 1790, repealed in 1797, and revived in 1904. The office ...

(running for re-election) * Christine Hallquist, former CEO of the

Vermont Electric Cooperative The Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) is a consumer-owned electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Johnson, Vermont. In 2019, Vermont Electric Cooperative served about 34,000 members in 74 towns in northern Vermont, including Addison, ...

and nominee for governor in

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...

Endorsements

Debates & forums

CCTV Channel 17 Town Meeting TV - Democratic Primary Gubernatorial Forum 7/16/2020Brattleboro Community TV - Democratic Governor Candidate Debate 5/11/2020

Results

Progressive Party

Leaders within the Progressive Party endorsed David Zuckerman for the gubernatorial election, advocating for Zuckerman to be elected with write-in voters. The party has stated that if Cris Ericson won the primary, "they would likely issue a 'non-endorsement.'" On election night the progressive nomination was listed as too close to call. Zuckerman was confirmed to have won the nomination a few days later when the final write-in vote count was confirmed.

Nominee

* David Zuckerman,

, former member of the

, former member of the Vermont House of Representatives, farmer, businessman, environmentalist

Eliminated in primary

Cris Ericson Cris Ericson (born May 16, 1952) is an American marijuana legalization activist and perennial candidate for public office in Vermont. She has unsuccessfully run for the governorship of Vermont nine times and for a seat in the United States Cong ...

, marijuana legalization activist,

perennial candidate A perennial candidate is a political candidate who frequently runs for elected office and rarely, if ever, wins. Perennial candidates' existence lies in the fact that in some countries, there are no laws that limit a number of times a person can ...

, and candidate for

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

in 2002, 2004, 2010,

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

, and

, candidate for US Senator in 2004, 2010,

and

, candidate for US Representative in

also ran for other statewide offices. * Boots Wardinski, Newbury resident, Liberty Union nominee for lieutenant governor in 2016

Results

General election

Candidates

* Wayne Billado III (I), also ran for lieutenant governor, state senator from Franklin County, and state representative from Franklin 3-1 district * Michael A. Devost (I) * Charly Dickerson (I) * Kevin Hoyt (I), Republican nominee for state representative from Bennington 2-1 in 2018 * Emily Peyton (I), candidate for governor in 2012, 2014, and 2018 *

(R), incumbent governor, former lieutenant governor and state senator, construction company owner * Erynn Hazlett Whitney (I) * David Zuckerman (P/D), lieutenant governor, former member of State Legislature, farmer, businessman, environmentalist

Predictions

Polling

;with Rebecca Holcombe

Endorsements

Debates & forums

VTDigger Governor Forum 9/29/2020

Results

;Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican * Windham (largest municipality:

Brattleboro Brattleboro (), originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The most populous municipality abutting Vermont's eastern border with New Hampshire, which is the Connecticut River, Brattleboro is located about no ...

)

Notes

References

External links

;Official campaign websites
Phil Scott (R) for Governor

David Zuckerman (P/D) for Governor
{{US Third Party Election

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...