List of Governors of Vermont

The Governor of Vermont is the state government's chief executive. As of 2015, Vermont is one of only two states (New Hampshire being the other) that elects Governors for two-year terms.

Until 1870, Vermont elected their governors for one-year terms.[1]

List

The following is a list of Governors of Vermont:

As the independent Vermont Republic

Parties

      No party

# Governor Party Term
1 Thomas Chittenden No party affiliation 1778–1789
2 Moses Robinson No party affiliation 1789–1790
3 Thomas Chittenden No party affiliation 1790–1791

As a U.S. state

Parties

      Democratic       Democratic-Republican       Federalist       No party       National Republican       Republican       Whig

# Governor Party Term
1 Thomas Chittenden No party affiliation March 4, 1791 – August 25, 1797 West
2 Paul Brigham Democratic-Republican August 25, 1797 – October 16, 1797 East
3 Isaac Tichenor Federalist October 16, 1797 – October 9, 1807 West
4 Israel Smith Democratic-Republican October 9, 1807 – October 14, 1808 West
5 Isaac Tichenor Federalist October 14, 1808 – October 14, 1809 West
6 Jonas Galusha Democratic-Republican October 14, 1809 – October 23, 1813 West
7 Martin Chittenden Federalist October 23, 1813 – October 14, 1815 West
8 Jonas Galusha Democratic-Republican October 14, 1815 – October 23, 1820 West
9 Richard Skinner Democratic-Republican October 23, 1820 – October 10, 1823 West
10 Cornelius P. Van Ness Democratic-Republican October 10, 1823 – October 13, 1826 West
11 Ezra Butler National Republican October 13, 1826 – October 10, 1828 East
12 Samuel C. Crafts National Republican October 10, 1828 – October 18, 1831 East
13 William A. Palmer Anti-Masonic October 18, 1831 – November 2, 1835 East
14 Silas H. Jennison Whig November 2, 1835 – October 15, 1841 West
15 Charles Paine Whig October 15, 1841 – October 13, 1843 East
16 John Mattocks Whig October 13, 1843 – October 11, 1844 East
17 William Slade Whig October 11, 1844 – October 9, 1846 West
18 Horace Eaton Whig October 9, 1846 – October 1848 East
19 Carlos Coolidge Whig October 1848 – October 11, 1850 East
20 Charles K. Williams Whig October 11, 1850 – October 1852 West
21 Erastus Fairbanks Whig October 1852 – October 1853 East
22 John S. Robinson Democratic October 1853 – October 13, 1854 West
23 Stephen Royce Whig (1st term) / Republican (2nd term) October 13, 1854 – October 10, 1856 West
24 Ryland Fletcher Republican October 10, 1856 – October 10, 1858 East
25 Hiland Hall Republican October 10, 1858 – October 12, 1860 West
26 Erastus Fairbanks Republican October 12, 1860 – October 11, 1861 East
27 Frederick Holbrook Republican October 11, 1861 – October 9, 1863 East
28 J. Gregory Smith Republican October 9, 1863 – October 13, 1865 West
29 Paul Dillingham Republican October 13, 1865 – October 13, 1867 East
30 John B. Page Republican October 13, 1867 – October 15, 1869 West
31 Peter T. Washburn Republican October 15, 1869 – February 7, 1870 East
32 George W. Hendee Republican February 7, 1870 – October 6, 1870 West
33 John W. Stewart Republican October 6, 1870 – October 3, 1872 West
34 Julius Converse Republican October 3, 1872 – October 8, 1874 East
35 Asahel Peck Republican October 8, 1874 – October 5, 1876 West
36 Horace Fairbanks Republican October 5, 1876 – October 3, 1878 East
37 Redfield Proctor Republican October 3, 1878 – October 7, 1880 West
38 Roswell Farnham Republican October 7, 1880 – October 5, 1882 East
39 John L. Barstow Republican October 5, 1882 – October 2, 1884 West
40 Samuel E. Pingree Republican October 2, 1884 – October 7, 1886 East
41 Ebenezer J. Ormsbee Republican October 7, 1886 – October 4, 1888 West
42 William P. Dillingham Republican October 4, 1888 – October 2, 1890 East
43 Carroll S. Page Republican October 2, 1890 – October 6, 1892 West
44 Levi K. Fuller Republican October 6, 1892 – October 4, 1894 East
45 Urban A. Woodbury Republican October 4, 1894 – October 8, 1896 West
46 Josiah Grout Republican October 8, 1896 – October 6, 1898 East
47 Edward C. Smith Republican October 6, 1898 – October 4, 1900 West
48 William W. Stickney Republican October 4, 1900 – October 3, 1902 East
49 John G. McCullough Republican October 3, 1902 – October 6, 1904 West
50 Charles J. Bell Republican October 6, 1904 – October 4, 1906 East
51 Fletcher D. Proctor Republican October 4, 1906 – October 8, 1908 West
52 George H. Prouty Republican October 8, 1908 – October 5, 1910 East
53 John A. Mead Republican October 5, 1910 – October 3, 1912 West
54 Allen M. Fletcher Republican October 3, 1912 – January 7, 1915 East
55 Charles W. Gates Republican January 7, 1915 – January 4, 1917 West
56 Horace F. Graham Republican January 4, 1917 – January 9, 1919 East
57 Percival W. Clement Republican January 9, 1919 – January 6, 1921 West
58 James Hartness Republican January 6, 1921 – January 4, 1923 East
59 Redfield Proctor, Jr. Republican January 4, 1923 – January 8, 1925 West
60 Franklin S. Billings Republican January 8, 1925 – January 6, 1927 East
61 John E. Weeks Republican January 6, 1927 – January 8, 1931 West
62 Stanley C. Wilson Republican January 8, 1931 – January 10, 1935 East
63 Charles M. Smith Republican January 10, 1935 – January 7, 1937 West
64 George David Aiken Republican January 7, 1937 – January 9, 1941 East
65 William H. Wills Republican January 9, 1941 – January 4, 1945 West
66 Mortimer R. Proctor Republican January 4, 1945 – January 9, 1947 West
67 Ernest W. Gibson, Jr. Republican January 9, 1947 – January 16, 1950 East
68 Harold J. Arthur Republican January 16, 1950 – January 4, 1951 West
69 Lee E. Emerson Republican January 4, 1951 – January 6, 1955 East
70 Joseph B. Johnson Republican January 6, 1955 – January 8, 1959 East
71 Robert T. Stafford Republican January 8, 1959 – January 5, 1961 West
72 F. Ray Keyser, Jr. Republican January 5, 1961 – January 10, 1963 East
73 Philip H. Hoff Democratic January 10, 1963 – January 9, 1969 West
74 Deane C. Davis Republican January 9, 1969 – January 4, 1973 East
75 Thomas P. Salmon Democratic January 4, 1973 – January 6, 1977 East
76 Richard A. Snelling Republican January 6, 1977 – January 10, 1985 West
77 Madeleine M. Kunin Democratic January 10, 1985 – January 10, 1991 West
78 Richard A. Snelling Republican January 10, 1991 – August 13, 1991 West
79 Howard Dean Democratic August 13, 1991 – January 9, 2003 West
80 Jim Douglas Republican January 9, 2003 – January 6, 2011 West
81 Peter Shumlin Democratic January 6, 2011 – East[2]

Other high offices held

This is a table of congressional seats, other federal offices, and other governorships held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented Vermont except where noted. * denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take.

Governor Gubernatorial term U.S. Congress Other offices held
House Senate
Moses Robinson 1789–1790 (Vt. Republic) S
Isaac Tichenor 1797–1807
1808–1809
S
Israel Smith 1807–1808 H S
Richard Skinner 1820–1823 H
Cornelius P. Van Ness 1823–1826 United States Minister to Spain, Collector of the Port of New York
Ezra Butler 1826–1828 H
Samuel C. Crafts 1828–1831 H S
William A. Palmer 1831–1835 S
John Mattocks 1843–1844 H
William Slade 1844–1846 H
Hiland Hall 1858–1860 H
Paul Dillingham 1865–1867 H
George W. Hendee 1870 H
John W. Stewart 1870–1872 H S
Redfield Proctor 1878–1880 S United States Secretary of War
William P. Dillingham 1888–1890 S
Carroll S. Page 1890–1892 S
John E. Weeks 1927–1931 H
George Aiken 1937–1941 S
William H. Wills 1941–1945 Member, Federal Communications Commission
Ernest W. Gibson, Jr. 1947–1950 S Judge, United States District Court for the District of Vermont
Robert Stafford 1959–1961 H S
Madeleine M. Kunin 1985–1991 United States Deputy Secretary of Education; United States Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein

Living former governors of Vermont

As of May 2015, there are five former governors of Vermont who are currently living at this time, the oldest governor of Vermont being Philip H. Hoff (served 1963–1969, born 1924). The most recent governor of Vermont to die was F. Ray Keyser, Jr. (served 1961–1963, born 1927), on March 7, 2015. The most recently serving governor of Vermont to die was Richard A. Snelling (served 1977–1985 and 1991, born 1927), in office on August 13, 1991.

GovernorGubernatorial termDate of birth (and age)
Philip H. Hoff 1963–1969 June 29, 1924
Thomas P. Salmon 1973–1977 August 19, 1932
Madeleine M. Kunin 1985–1991 September 28, 1933
Howard Dean 1991–2003 November 17, 1948
Jim Douglas 2003–2011 June 21, 1951

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 AikenGibson (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 viewed how the state was divided.[3][4]

References

  1. pdf
  2. Samuel B. Hand, Vermont Historical Society, Vermont History magazine, Mountain Rule Revisited, Summer/Fall 2003, pages 149–150
  3. Newspaper article, The Mountain Rule in Vermont, New York Times, February 12, 1895
  4. Magazine article, Mountain Rule Revisited, by Samuel B. Hand, Vermont History Magazine, published by Vermont Historical Society, Summer/Fall 2003, pages 139 to 151
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