List of lieutenant governors of Vermont

Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
Coat of Arms of Vermont
Incumbent Phillip Scott since January 6, 2011
Term length	Two years, no term limit
Inaugural holder	Jonathan Hunt
Formation	1791; Constitution of Vermont
Succession	Every two years, unless re-elected.
Salary	$61,776

The Lieutenant Governor of Vermont is elected for a two-year term and chosen separately from the Governor. The Lieutenant Governor's main responsibilities include: acting as Governor when the Governor is out of state or incapacitated; presiding over the Vermont Senate; and casting tie-breaking votes in the Senate when required. As a member of the State Senate's Committee on Committees, the Lieutenant Governor plays a role in determining committee assignments for individual Senators, as well as selecting committee chairmen, vice chairmen, and clerks.^[1][2][3]

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 imposition of the "Mountain Rule." Under the 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, and the governorship and lieutenant governorship alternated between residents of the east and west side. Nominees for Governor and Lieutenant Governor were 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 Mountain Rule in the interests of party unity. Several factors led to the eventual weakening of the Mountain Rule, including: the long time political dispute between the Proctor (conservative) and Aiken-Gibson (liberal) 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. Though I-89 is a north-south route, it traverses Vermont from east to west and changed the way Vermonters view how the state is divided.^[4][5]

List

Here is a list of lieutenant governors of Vermont in chronological order:^[6][7]

As the independent Vermont Republic

#	Name	Party	Term
1	Joseph Marsh	—	1778–1779
2	Benjamin Carpenter	—	1779–1781
3	Elisha Payne	—	1781–1782
4	Paul Spooner	—	1782–1787
5	Joseph Marsh	—	1787–1790
6	Peter Olcott	—	1790–1794

As the U.S. state of Vermont

Parties

      Democratic       Democratic-Republican       Federalist       Republican/National Union       Whig/National Republican/Anti-Masonic

#	Name	Party	Term
1	Jonathan Hunt	—	1794–1796
2	Brigham, PaulPaul Brigham	Democratic-Republican	1796–1813
3	Chamberlain, WilliamWilliam Chamberlain	Federalist	1813–1815
4	Brigham, PaulPaul Brigham	Democratic-Republican	1815–1820
5	Cahoon, WilliamWilliam Cahoon	Democratic-Republican	1820–1822
6	Leland, AaronAaron Leland	Democratic-Republican	1822–1827
7	Olin, HenryHenry Olin	Democratic-Republican	1827–1830
8	Richards, MarkMark Richards	National Republican	1830–1831
9	Egerton, LebbeusLebbeus Egerton	Anti-Masonic	1831–1835
10	Jennison, Silas H.Silas H. Jennison	Whig / Anti-Masonic	1835–1836
11	Camp, David M.David M. Camp	Whig	1836–1841
12	Ranney, Waitstill R.Waitstill R. Ranney	Whig	1841–1843
13	Eaton, HoraceHorace Eaton	Whig	1843–1846
14	Sargeant, LeonardLeonard Sargeant	Whig	1846–1848
15	Pierpoint, RobertRobert Pierpoint	Whig	1848–1850
16	Converse, JuliusJulius Converse	Whig	1850–1852
17	Kittredge, William C.William C. Kittredge	Whig	1852–1853
18	Kidder, Jefferson P.Jefferson P. Kidder	Democratic	1853–1854
19	Fletcher, RylandRyland Fletcher	Republican	1854–1856
20	Slade, James M.James M. Slade	Republican	1856–1858
21	Martin, BurnhamBurnham Martin	Republican	1858–1860
22	Underwood, LeviLevi Underwood	Republican	1860–1862
23	Dillingham, PaulPaul Dillingham	Republican / National Union	1862–1865
24	Gardner, Abraham B.Abraham B. Gardner	Republican	1865–1867
25	Thomas, StephenStephen Thomas	Republican	1867–1869
26	Hendee, George W.George W. Hendee	Republican	1869–1870
27	Dale, George N.George N. Dale	Republican	1870–1872
28	Taft, Russell S.Russell S. Taft	Republican	1872–1874
29	Hinckley, Lyman G.Lyman G. Hinckley	Republican	1874–1876
30	Proctor, RedfieldRedfield Proctor	Republican	1876–1878
31	Colton, Eben PomeroyEben Pomeroy Colton	Republican	1878–1880
32	Barstow, John L.John L. Barstow	Republican	1880–1882
33	Pingree, Samuel E.Samuel E. Pingree	Republican	1882–1884
34	Ormsbee, Ebenezer J.Ebenezer J. Ormsbee	Republican	1884–1886
35	Fuller, Levi K.Levi K. Fuller	Republican	1886–1888
36	Woodbury, Urban A.Urban A. Woodbury	Republican	1888–1890
37	Fletcher, Henry A.Henry A. Fletcher	Republican	1890–1892
38	Stranahan, F. StewartF. Stewart Stranahan	Republican	1892–1894
39	Mansur, Zophar M.Zophar M. Mansur	Republican	1894–1896
40	Fisk, Nelson W.Nelson W. Fisk	Republican	1896–1898
41	Bates, Henry C.Henry C. Bates	Republican	1898–1900
42	Allen, Martin F.Martin F. Allen	Republican	1900–1902
43	Stanton, Zed S.Zed S. Stanton	Republican	1902–1904
44	Stearns, Charles H.Charles H. Stearns	Republican	1904–1906
45	Prouty, George H.George H. Prouty	Republican	1906–1908
46	Mead, John A.John A. Mead	Republican	1908–1910
47	Slack, Leighton P.Leighton P. Slack	Republican	1910–1912
48	Howe, Frank E.Frank E. Howe	Republican	1912–1915
49	Darling, Hale K.Hale K. Darling	Republican	1915–1917
50	Hulburd, Roger W.Roger W. Hulburd	Republican	1917–1919
51	Stone, Mason S.Mason S. Stone	Republican	1919–1921
52	Foote, Abram W.Abram W. Foote	Republican	1921–1923
53	Billings, Franklin S.Franklin S. Billings	Republican	1923–1925
54	Farnsworth, Walter K.Walter K. Farnsworth	Republican	1925–1927
55	Jackson, HollisterHollister Jackson	Republican	1927–1927
56	Wilson, Stanley C.Stanley C. Wilson	Republican	1929–1931
57	Williams, BenjaminBenjamin Williams	Republican	1931–1933
58	Smith, Charles M.Charles M. Smith	Republican	1933–1935
59	Aiken, George D.George D. Aiken	Republican	1935–1937
60	Wills, William H.William H. Wills	Republican	1937–1941
61	Proctor, Mortimer R.Mortimer R. Proctor	Republican	1941–1945
62	Emerson, Lee E.Lee E. Emerson	Republican	1945–1949
63	Arthur, Harold J.Harold J. Arthur	Republican	1949–1950
64	Johnson, Joseph B.Joseph B. Johnson	Republican	1951–1955
65	Bailey, Consuelo N.Consuelo N. Bailey	Republican	1955–1957
66	Stafford, Robert T.Robert T. Stafford	Republican	1957–1959
67	Babcock, Robert S.Robert S. Babcock	Republican	1959–1961
68	Foote, Ralph A.Ralph A. Foote	Republican	1961–1965
69	Daley, John J.John J. Daley	Democratic	1965–1969
70	Hayes, Thomas L.Thomas L. Hayes	Republican	1969–1971
71	Burgess, John S.John S. Burgess	Republican	1971–1975
72	Burns, Brian D.Brian D. Burns	Democratic	1975–1977
73	Buckley, T. GarryT. Garry Buckley	Republican	1977–1979
74	Kunin, Madeleine M.Madeleine M. Kunin	Democratic	1979–1983
75	Smith, Peter P.Peter P. Smith	Republican	1983–1987
76	Dean, Howard B.Howard B. Dean	Democratic	1987–1991
77	Snelling, Barbara W.Barbara W. Snelling	Republican	1993–1997
78	Racine, Douglas A.Douglas A. Racine	Democratic	1997–2003
79	Dubie, Brian E.Brian E. Dubie	Republican	2003–2011
80	Phillip Scott	Republican	2011–present

Living former U.S. Lieutenant Governors of Vermont

As of November 2015, six former U.S. lieutenant governors of Vermont were alive, the oldest being Madeleine M. Kunin (served 1979–1983, born 1933). The most recent death of a former U.S. lieutenant governor of Vermont was that of Barbara W. Snelling (served 1993–1997, born 1928), on November 2, 2015.

Lt. Governor	Lt. Gubernatorial term	Date of birth (and age)
Brian D. Burns	1975–1977	November 17, 1939
Madeleine M. Kunin	1979–1983	September 28, 1933
Peter Plympton Smith	1983–1987	October 31, 1945
Howard Dean	1987–1991	November 17, 1948
Doug Racine	1997–2003	October 7, 1952
Brian Dubie	2003–2011	March 9, 1959

References

1. Newspaper article, Vermont Senate Committee Assignments Finally Out, by Nancy Remsen, Burlington Free Press, January 7, 2011
2. permanent Rules of the Vermont Senate, published by Vermont State Senate, 2009 edition, page 4
3. Vermont Constitution, Chapter 2, Article 19, U.S. Constitution Online web site, accessed January 2, 2011
4. Newspaper article, The Mountain Rule in Vermont, New York Times, February 12, 1895
5. Magazine article, Mountain Rule Revisited, by Samuel B. Hand, Vermont History Magazine, published by Vermont Historical Society, Summer/Fall 2003, pages 139 to 151
6. Terms of Service, Vermont Lieutenant Governors, Vermont Secretary of State Vermont State Archives and Records Administration, 2011
7. General Election Results, Vermont Lieutenant Governor, 1818 to 2011, Vermont Secretary of State, State Archives and Records Administration, 2011

External links

• Office of Lt. Governor Phil Scott