The Vermont Lieutenant Governor election in 2026 will determine who serves as the second-highest executive officer in the state for a two-year term beginning in January 2027. The Lieutenant Governor of Vermont has a unique set of constitutional duties, including serving as the President of the Vermont Senate, where they can cast tie-breaking votes, and acting as governor when the governor is absent from the state or incapacitated. Vermont is one of the few states where the governor and lieutenant governor are elected separately, meaning they can belong to different political parties, a dynamic that has occurred frequently in recent decades. The office has historically been a stepping stone to the governorship; five of the last seven Vermont governors previously served as lieutenant governor. The 2026 election will take place against a backdrop of shifting political alignments in Vermont, a state that has trended increasingly Democratic but still elects Republican governors. The incumbent, David Zuckerman, a Progressive/Democrat, was first elected in 2016, lost a bid for governor in 2020, and returned as lieutenant governor in 2022. His term ends in January 2027, and he has not yet announced whether he will seek reelection or run for governor again. The race is expected to attract candidates from the Democratic, Republican, and Progressive parties, with potential implications for the balance of power in state government. Political observers are watching this race closely because the lieutenant governor's tie-breaking vote in the state Senate has been critical on issues like education funding, gun control, and environmental policy. The outcome could also signal the direction of Vermont politics heading into the 2028 gubernatorial election.

Historical Context

The Vermont lieutenant governor election of 2026 is part of a long tradition of separate elections for the state's top two executive offices. Vermont has had a separately elected lieutenant governor since the office was created in the state's 1793 constitution. The role has evolved over time, with the lieutenant governor gaining the power to preside over the Senate and cast tie-breaking votes. Historically, the office has been a launching pad for higher office. For example, Madeleine Kunin served as lieutenant governor from 1985 to 1991 before becoming governor. Howard Dean was lieutenant governor from 1983 to 1991 before becoming governor in 1991. More recently, Phil Scott was lieutenant governor from 2011 to 2017 before becoming governor. The 2026 election will be the first since Vermont adopted automatic voter registration in 2022 and same-day voter registration, which could affect turnout. The race will also be the first lieutenant governor election since the 2020 census redistricting, which redrew state Senate districts and could shift the political calculus. Vermont has a history of electing third-party and independent candidates. Bernie Sanders, an independent, served as mayor of Burlington and later in the U.S. House and Senate. The Progressive Party has held the lieutenant governor's office for much of the last decade, with Zuckerman serving from 2017 to 2021 and again from 2023 onward. The 2026 election will be held in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans roughly 2 to 1, but where voters frequently split tickets. In 2022, for example, Zuckerman won the lieutenant governor race with 54.4% of the vote, while Republican Phil Scott won the governor's race with 69.2%.