| Lieutenant Governor of Vermont | |
|---|---|
Coat of arms of Vermont | |
since January 9, 2025 | |
| Term length | Two years, no term limit |
| Inaugural holder | Jonathan Hunt |
| Formation | 1791;Constitution of Vermont |
| Salary | $99,489[1] |
Thelieutenant governor of Vermont is elected for a two-year term and chosen separately from thegovernor. TheVermont lieutenant governor's main responsibilities include acting as governor when the governor is out of state or incapacitated, presiding over theVermont Senate, casting tie-breaking votes in the Senate when required, andacceding to the governorship in case of a vacancy.[2][3][4] 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 committeechairs, vice chairs, andclerks.[5][6][7]
The incumbent Lieutenant Governor isJohn S. Rodgers, aRepublican who was first elected in2024.
From the founding of theRepublican 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 theGreen 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 likelyRepublican candidates for office inVermont 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 longtime political dispute between theProctor (conservative) andAiken-Gibson (liberal) wings of the party; primaries rather than conventions to select nominees; the direct election ofU.S. Senators; and several active third parties, including theProgressives, theProhibition Party, and theLocal Option movement. In the 1960s the rise of theVermont Democratic Party and the construction ofInterstate 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.[8][9]
Vermont has no provision for filling the lieutenant governor's office in the event of a vacancy,[10] and it has been vacant five times.[11]Thomas Chittenden died in August 1797 while serving as governor, and Lieutenant GovernorPaul Brigham served until the end of Chittenden's term in October.[11] Brigham, the winner of that year's September election for lieutenant governor, began his new term in October and was succeeded as governor byIsaac Tichenor.[11] In February 1870, GovernorPeter T. Washburn died andGeorge Whitman Hendee became governor.[11] The lieutenant governor's office remained vacant untilGeorge N. Dale, the winner of that September's election, took office in October.[11] In November 1927, Lieutenant GovernorHollister Jackson died in theGreat Vermont Flood of 1927, and the position remained vacant untilStanley C. Wilson took office in January 1929.[12][13] In January 1950, GovernorErnest W. Gibson Jr. resigned andHarold J. Arthur became governor.[11] The lieutenant governor's office was vacant untilJoseph B. Johnson, the winner of the 1950 election, took office in January 1951.[11] In August 1991, GovernorRichard A. Snelling died andHoward Dean succeeded him.[10] The lieutenant governorship remained vacant until Snelling's widowBarbara, the winner of the 1992 election, took office in January 1993.[14]
This is a list oflieutenant governors ofVermont in chronological order:[15][16]
| # | Image | Name | Party | Term | Governor(s) served under |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joseph Marsh | — | 1778–1779 | Thomas Chittenden | |
| 2 | Benjamin Carpenter | — | 1779–1781 | Thomas Chittenden | |
| 3 | Elisha Payne | — | 1781–1782 | Thomas Chittenden | |
| 4 | Paul Spooner | — | 1782–1787 | Thomas Chittenden | |
| 5 | Joseph Marsh | — | 1787–1790 | Moses Robinson | |
| 6 | Peter Olcott | — | 1790–1791 | Thomas Chittenden |