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Republican Phil Scott wins record 6th term as Vermont’s governor

Gov. Phil Scott the Associated General Contractors facility in Montpelier on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Photo by Andy Duback/VTDigger

By Shaun Robinson and Charlotte OliverPublished Nov 3, 2026, 9:56 PMUpdated Nov 3, 20263 min read

Phil Scott smiling and shaking hands with an attendee at an event.

Gov. Phil Scott the Associated General Contractors facility in Montpelier on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Photo by Andy Duback/VTDigger

" data-large-file="https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/election-night-republicans-007-e1793766819590-1200x901.jpg" /> Gov. Phil Scott the Associated General Contractors facility in Montpelier on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Photo by Andy Duback/VTDigger

MONTPELIER — Vermont’s Republican Gov. Phil Scott won reelection to a sixth term on Tuesday, defeating Democrat and Progressive Amanda Janoo in a race that proved more competitive than most voters would have imagined when Scott announced he would run again.

Janoo, an economist from Burlington running her first-ever political campaign, conceded in a speech at her campaign’s election night party in Burlington around 10:50 p.m.

The Associated Press had not yet called the race for Scott at that point.

Scott, who is 68 and lives in Berlin, has now been elected governor more times than anyone else in Vermont history, surpassing the previous record of five wins held by Democrat Howard Dean.

As of the time Janoo conceded, however, Scott’s win looked on track to be his narrowest in years.

Polling released ahead of Election Day suggested his favorability had taken a hit, especially among Democrats, many of whom reliably voted for him in the past. Scott has acknowledged that his vision for education reform and his decision to make state employees return to regular in-person work made him less popular with some voters.

Janoo also raised more money than Scott over the last two months of the race and generated more excitement for her campaign than any other Democratic candidate for governor in years.

But she had a significant disadvantage: Before this year, she was virtually unknown to voters. Scott made the case on the campaign trail that voters, to the contrary, knew him well and could trust his leadership, reminding them that he was in office during the Covid-19 pandemic and the devastating floods of 2023 and 2024.

He also made the case that even though he is a Republican, he’s stood up to President Donald Trump’s administration when he thought federal actions would hurt the state, which is something many Democratic voters have rewarded him for.

Scott also likely benefited from a large infusion of cash into the race on his behalf — $950,000 as of last week, according to campaign finance reports — from the Republican Governors Association. The national organization donated to a Vermont-based super PAC that ran pro-Scott and anti-Janoo advertising on TV and online in recent weeks.

Looking ahead, Scott said during the campaign that he would tackle the state’s affordability issues with a package of tax cuts or credits and pushing for more deregulatory reforms to the state’s healthcare system. He also wants the state government to continue on the path his administration set out over the last two years toward a consolidated education system with larger, regional districts.

It remains to be seen, though, how much support he’ll get for those ideas from lawmakers next year.

This story will be updated.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Republican Phil Scott wins record 6th term as Vermont’s governor.

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Republican Phil Scott wins record 6th term as Vermont’s governor

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