The governor of Vermont is the U.S. state's
head of government. Since 1994,
Vermont is one of only two U.S. states (
New Hampshire being the other) that elects governors for two-year terms. Until 1870, Vermont elected its governors for one-year terms.
Isaac Tichenor,
Jonas Galusha
Jonas Galusha (February 11, 1753September 24, 1834) was the sixth and eighth governor of Vermont for two terms in the early 19th century.
Biography
Galusha, born in Norwich in the Colony of Connecticut, moved with his siblings and his parents, ...
,
Erastus Fairbanks, and
Richard A. Snelling
Richard Arkwright Snelling (February 18, 1927August 13, 1991) was an American businessman and politician. He was most notable for his service as the 76th and 78th governor of Vermont from 1977 to 1985 and from January 10, 1991, until his death ...
each served non-consecutive terms, while
Thomas Chittenden served non consecutive terms as Governor of the Vermont Republic.
Mountain Rule
From the founding of the
Republican Party
Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party.
Republican Party may also refer to:
Africa
*Republican Party (Liberia)
* Republican Part ...
in the 1850s until the 1960s, only Republicans won general elections for Vermont's statewide offices. One method that made this possible was imposition of the "Mountain Rule." This rule was among informal mechanisms which restricted the pool of candidates for any election.
Under the provisions of the Mountain Rule, one U.S. senator was a resident of the east side of the
Green Mountains and one resided on the west side, and the governorship and lieutenant governorship alternated between residents of the east and west side. Nominees for governor and lieutenant governor were allowed two one-year terms and, later, one two-year term. For nearly 100 years, likely
Republican candidates for office in
Vermont agreed to abide by the Mountain Rule in the interests of party unity. Several factors led to the eventual weakening of the Mountain Rule, including the long time political dispute between the
Proctor
Proctor (a variant of ''procurator'') is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another.
The title is used in England and some other English-speaking countries in three principal contexts:
* In law, a proctor is a historical class of lawye ...
(conservative) and
Aiken–
Gibson
Gibson may refer to:
People
* Gibson (surname)
Businesses
* Gibson Brands, Inc., an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment
* Gibson Technology, and English automotive and motorsport company based
* Gi ...
(liberal) wings of the party; primaries rather than conventions to select nominees; the direct election of
U.S. Senators
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and power ...
; and several active third parties, including the
Progressives
Progressivism holds that it is possible to improve human societies through political action. As a political movement, progressivism seeks to advance the human condition through social reform based on purported advancements in science, techno ...
, the
Prohibition Party
The Prohibition Party (PRO) is a political party in the United States known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages and as an integral part of the temperance movement. It is the oldest existing third party ...
, and the
Local Option movement. In the 1960s, the rise of the
Vermont Democratic Party and the construction of
Interstate 89 also contributed to the end of the Mountain Rule. Though I-89 is a north-south route, it traverses Vermont from southeast to northwest for the majority of its length within the state and changed the way residents view how it is divided.
Magazine article, Mountain Rule Revisited
by Samuel B. Hand, Vermont History Magazine, published by Vermont Historical Society, Summer/Fall 2003, pages 139 to 151
List
As the independent Vermont Republic
As a U.S. state
;Political party
(6)
(6)
(3)
(1)
(2)
(54)
(8)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vermont, List of Governors of
Vermont
Governors