Vermont primary pits Democratic hopefuls against popular Republican governor Phil Scott

Vermont Democrats will hold primaries on Tuesday, trying to nominate a candidate who can defeat incumbent Republican Governor Phil Scott, who faces no GOP challenger.

On Tuesday, Vermont voters will decide a slate of contested Democratic primaries, including the governor's race, where the party hopes to finally present a challenger capable of unseating Republican Governor Phil Scott. Scott, who secured 73% of the vote in his 2024 re-election and faces no Republican opponent, is a rare GOP critic of Donald Trump and has endorsed former UN ambassador Nikki Haley. The Democratic field includes economist Amanda Janoo and former child-advocacy organization chief Aly Richards, the latter backed by former governors Howard Dean and Madeleine Kunin and having raised roughly $453,000 compared with Janoo’s $308,000.

Vermont’s open-primary system allows any registered voter to participate in either party’s contest, and early voting has already produced about 17,000 ballots. Mail voting accounted for roughly 30% of the 2024 primary turnout, and recounts can be triggered if margins fall below 2% for statewide races. The results will shape the November contest for U.S. Rep. Becca Balint’s seat and set the stage for the 2026 midterms.