The governor of Vermont is the head of government of the U.S. state of Vermont. 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.pdf Isaac Tichenor, Jonas Galusha, Erastus Fairbanks, and Richard A. Snelling 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 in the 1850s until the 1960s, only Republicans won general elections for Vermont's statewide offices. One method that made this possible was the Republican Party's imposition of the "Mountain Rule," an informal mechanism which restricted the pool of candidates.The Direct Primary, sos.vermont.gov
Under the original 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. The expanded version of the rule called for the governorship and lieutenant governorship to alternate between residents of the east and west side. Nominees for governor and lieutenant governor were originally 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 expanded Mountain Rule in the interests of party unity. Several factors led to the eventual weakening of the Mountain Rule, including the long political dispute between the Proctor (conservative) and Aiken–Gibson (progressive) wings of the party; primaries rather than conventions to select nominees; the direct election of U.S. Senators; and several active third parties, including the Progressives, the Prohibition 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. Although 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 of governors Vermont Republic The Vermont Republic declared independence from Great Britain on January 15, 1777.
+ Governors of the Republic of VermontGovernorTerm in officeElectionLt. Governor1Thomas ChittendenMarch 13, 1778–October 13, 17891778 177817791780178117821783178417851786178717882Moses RobinsonOctober 13, 1789–October 20, 179017893Thomas ChittendenOctober 20, 1790–March 4, 17911790
State of Vermont Vermont was admitted to the Union on March 4, 1791.
+ Governors of the State of VermontGovernorTerm in officePartyElectionLt. Governor1 Thomas ChittendenMarch 5, 1791–August 25, 1797No party1791 179217931794179517962Paul BrighamAugust 25, 1797–October 16, 1797Democratic-RepublicanVacant3Isaac TichenorOctober 16, 1797–October 9, 1807Federalist17971798179918001801180218031804180518064Israel SmithOctober 9, 1807–October 14, 1808Democratic-Republican18075Isaac TichenorOctober 14, 1808–October 14, 1809Federalist18086Jonas GalushaOctober 14, 1809–October 23, 1813Democratic-Republican18091810181118127Martin ChittendenOctober 23, 1813–October 14, 1815Federalist181318148Jonas GalushaOctober 14, 1815–October 13, 1820Democratic-Republican181518161817181818199Richard SkinnerOctober 13, 1820–October 10, 1823Democratic-Republican18201821182210Cornelius P. Van NessOctober 10, 1823–October 13, 1826Democratic-Republican18231824182511Ezra ButlerOctober 13, 1826–October 10, 1828NationalRepublican1826182712Samuel C. CraftsOctober 10, 1828–October 18, 1831NationalRepublican18281829183013William A. PalmerOctober 18, 1831–November 2, 1835Anti-Masonic183118321833183414Silas H. JennisonNovember 2, 1835–October 18, 1841Whig1835Acting as governor1836183718381839184015Charles PaineOctober 18, 1841Vermont General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1841 sess., 14, accessed July 13, 2023–October 13, 1843Whig1841184216John MattocksOctober 13, 1843Vermont General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1843 sess., 12, accessed July 13, 2023–October 11, 1844Whig184317William SladeOctober 11, 1844Vermont General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1844 sess., 11, accessed July 13, 2023–October 9, 1846Whig1844184518Horace EatonOctober 9, 1846Vermont General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1846 sess., 8, accessed July 13, 2023–October 19, 1848Whig1846184719Carlos CoolidgeOctober 19, 1848Vermont General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1848 sess., 24, accessed July 13, 2023–October 12, 1850Whig1848184920Charles K. WilliamsOctober 12, 1850–October 18, 1852Whig1850185121Erastus FairbanksOctober 18, 1852Vermont General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1852 sess., 25, accessed July 13, 2023–November 1, 1853Whig185222John S. RobinsonNovember 1, 1853–October 13, 1854Democratic185323Stephen RoyceOctober 13, 1854Vermont General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1854 sess., 16, accessed July 14, 2023–October 10, 1856Whig1854Republican185524Ryland FletcherOctober 10, 1856–October 15, 1858Republican1856185725Hiland HallOctober 15, 1858Vermont General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1858 sess., 14, accessed July 14, 2023–October 12, 1860Republican1858185926Erastus FairbanksOctober 12, 1860–October 22, 1861Republican186027Frederick HolbrookOctober 22, 1861–October 9, 1863Republican1861186228J. Gregory SmithOctober 9, 1863Vermont General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1863 sess., 18, accessed July 15, 2023–October 13, 1865Republican1863186429Paul DillinghamOctober 13, 1865Vermont General Assembly. Journal of the Senate. 1865 sess., 25, accessed July 15, 2023–October 13, 1867Republican1865186630John B. PageOctober 13, 1867–October 16, 1869Republican1867186831Peter T. WashburnOctober 16, 1869–February 7, 1870Republican186932George Whitman HendeeFebruary 7, 1870–October 6, 1870RepublicanVacant33John Wolcott StewartOctober 6, 1870–October 3, 1872Republican187034Julius ConverseOctober 3, 1872–October 8, 1874Republican187235Asahel PeckOctober 8, 1874–October 5, 1876Republican187436Horace FairbanksOctober 5, 1876–October 3, 1878Republican187637Redfield ProctorOctober 3, 1878–October 7, 1880Republican187838Roswell FarnhamOctober 7, 1880–October 5, 1882Republican188039John L. BarstowOctober 5, 1882–October 2, 1884Republican188240Samuel E. PingreeOctober 2, 1884–October 7, 1886Republican188441Ebenezer J. OrmsbeeOctober 7, 1886–October 4, 1888Republican188642William P. DillinghamOctober 4, 1888–October 2, 1890Republican188843Carroll S. PageOctober 2, 1890–October 6, 1892Republican189044Levi K. FullerOctober 6, 1892–October 4, 1894Republican189245Urban A. WoodburyOctober 4, 1894–October 8, 1896Republican189446Josiah GroutOctober 8, 1896–October 6, 1898Republican189647Edward Curtis SmithOctober 6, 1898–October 4, 1900Republican189848William W. StickneyOctober 4, 1900–October 3, 1902Republican190049John G. McCulloughOctober 3, 1902–October 6, 1904Republican190250Charles J. BellOctober 6, 1904–October 4, 1906Republican190451Fletcher D. ProctorOctober 4, 1906–October 8, 1908Republican190652George H. ProutyOctober 8, 1908–October 6, 1910Republican190853John A. MeadOctober 6, 1910–October 3, 1912Republican191054Allen M. FletcherOctober 3, 1912–January 7, 1915Republican191255Charles W. GatesJanuary 7, 1915–January 4, 1917Republican191456Horace F. GrahamJanuary 4, 1917–January 10, 1919Republican191657Percival W. ClementJanuary 10, 1919–January 7, 1921Republican191858James HartnessJanuary 7, 1921–January 4, 1923Republican192059Redfield Proctor Jr.January 4, 1923–January 8, 1925Republican192260Franklin S. BillingsJanuary 8, 1925–January 6, 1927Republican192461John E. WeeksJanuary 6, 1927–January 8, 1931Republican1926Vacant192862Stanley C. WilsonJanuary 8, 1931–January 10, 1935Republican1930193263Charles Manley SmithJanuary 10, 1935–January 7, 1937Republican193464George AikenJanuary 7, 1937–January 9, 1941Republican1936193865William Henry WillsJanuary 9, 1941–January 4, 1945Republican1940194266Mortimer R. ProctorJanuary 4, 1945–January 9, 1947Republican194467Ernest W. Gibson Jr.January 9, 1947–January 16, 1950Republican1946194868Harold J. ArthurJanuary 16, 1950–January 4, 1951RepublicanVacant69Lee E. EmersonJanuary 4, 1951–January 6, 1955Republican1950195270Joseph B. JohnsonJanuary 6, 1955–January 15, 1959Republican1954195671Robert StaffordJanuary 15, 1959–January 5, 1961Republican195872F. Ray Keyser Jr.January 5, 1961–January 10, 1963Republican196073Philip H. HoffJanuary 10, 1963–January 9, 1969Democratic19621964196674Deane C. DavisJanuary 9, 1969–January 4, 1973Republican1968197075Thomas P. SalmonJanuary 4, 1973–January 6, 1977Democratic1972197476Richard A. SnellingJanuary 6, 1977–January 10, 1985Republican197619781980198277Madeleine KuninJanuary 10, 1985–January 10, 1991Democratic19841986198878Richard A. SnellingJanuary 10, 1991–August 13, 1991Republican199079Howard DeanAugust 13, 1991–January 9, 2003DemocraticVacant1992199419961998200080Jim DouglasJanuary 9, 2003–January 6, 2011Republican200220042006200881Peter ShumlinJanuary 6, 2011–January 5, 2017Democratic20102012201482Phil ScottJanuary 5, 2017–IncumbentRepublican20162018202020222024
See also
List of Vermont General Assemblies
Notes
References General
Specific
External links Office of the Governor of Vermont