Montpelier, Vermont: Phil Scott Wins a Sixth Term as Governor, Beating Amanda Janoo

Republican Gov. Phil Scott won reelection to a sixth two-year term in Vermont on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, defeating Democratic challenger Amanda Janoo. Janoo is a Burlington economist and a political newcomer. The contest stayed close through the night and was not called until after midnight.

Polls closed at 7 p.m. in Vermont. Janoo conceded shortly before 11 p.m. Scott spoke to supporters at his watch party in Montpelier at 11 p.m. He said it had been a "hard fought election" and that Janoo ran a "strong, energetic campaign," according to Seven Days.

The Count Took Hours

The Associated Press declared Scott the winner at 12:35 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Nov. 4. AP results later showed Scott with 163,169 votes with 282 of 283 precincts reporting.

The margin was tighter earlier in the night. With 223 of 247 towns reporting at 11:30 p.m., Scott had about 147,500 votes to Janoo's 126,700, or 52 percent to 45 percent, the Burlington Free Press reported, citing the Secretary of State's office.

A final University of New Hampshire poll had shown Janoo leading. That result helped make this the closest Vermont governor race in years, and it helps explain why the call came so late.

A Record Run in Vermont

Scott is the first Vermont governor to win six consecutive terms since the state switched from a one-year to a two-year election cycle in 1870, according to AP. The win extends a long run for a Republican in a state that leans strongly Democratic.

Vermont is one of the most liberal states in the country. Scott, a Republican, has won there repeatedly. He did it again on Tuesday even as his party lost ground elsewhere in the state and in Washington.

A Split Result at the Statehouse

Scott was the only Republican to win a statewide race in Vermont on Tuesday. Democrats made large gains in the Statehouse.

Democrat Molly Gray won the lieutenant governor race, beating Republican John Rodgers. Rodgers conceded at about 9:30 p.m. The result means the executive chamber will be split, with a Republican governor and a Democratic lieutenant governor, WAMC and Seven Days reported.

Scott also won on a night when Democrats won control of both the US House and Senate nationally. That contrast shaped the Vermont result. Voters backed Democrats for most offices, but they kept Scott in the governor's office for another two years.

For Scott, the next term starts with a familiar task. He will work with a Statehouse where Democrats hold more strength, and he will do so after the hardest reelection fight of his time in office.