Vermont elects Republican governor, lieutenant governor, Democrats lose supermajority in both House and Senate
BIG GOP WINS IN HOUSE AND SENATE – both Casey Toof (center, St. Albans House seat) and Chris Mattos (right, Chittenden North Senate seat) were part of a wave of Vermont Republicans winning elections, resulting in the end of supermajorities in both House and Senate.
By Guy Page
A record 372,175 voters cast ballots in the November 5 General Election, beating the previous record of 370,000 in the 2020 record turnout.
Vermont now has political balance, with a popular Republican governor with the power to veto legislation from a Legislature controlled by Democrats. The Green Mountain State has switched political colors from blue to purple.
Results in a nutshell:
Republican Gov. Phil Scott defeated Democrat Esther Charlestin by 71.56% to 21.27% margin – about 3.5 votes for Scott to every one for the Middlebury-based educator and DEI consultant.
Republican John Rodgers will be Vermont’s first Republican lieutenant governor since Phil Scott in 2015-2016.
The Senate picked up six GOP seats to make the margin 17 Dem/Progs, 13 Republicans.
The House picked up more than enough new Republicans to eliminate the Democrat supermajority which House Speaker used to override Gov. Scott’s vetos of controversial school spending, carbon reduction, and Act 250 legislation.
In the other four statewide office races, incumbents – Treasurer Mike Pieciak, Auditor Doug Hoffer, Attorney General Charity Clark, and Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas – all were returned to office. Their GOP competitors collected vote tallies around 35-37%.
On the federal level, Bernie Sanders and Becca Balint easily bested GOP nominees Gerald Malloy and Mark Coester. Kamala Harris enjoyed an all-too-rare easy victory, with Donald Trump receiving just 36%.
The big pickups also may lead to changes in leadership in both Senate and House, with more centrist Democrat or independent leaders making common cause with the enlarged Republican caucuses.