Vermont gubernatorial election, 2020 (August 11 Democratic primary)

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Governor of Vermont
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: May 28, 2020
Primary: August 11, 2020
General: November 3, 2020
Pre-election incumbent(s):
Gov. Phil Scott (R)
How to vote
Poll times: Open between 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.; close at 7 p.m.
Voting in Vermont
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Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020
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David Zuckerman won the Democratic primary for governor of Vermont on August 11, 2020, receiving 48% of the vote. Rebecca Holcombe was second with 37%. Patrick Winburn and Ralph Corbo each received less than 10%. Incumbent Gov. Phil Scott (R) sought re-election.

Media attention focused on Zuckerman and Holcombe, both of whom had prior experience in state government, Zuckerman as a state legislator and the state's lieutenant governor and Holcombe as the state's secretary of education.

Zuckerman was first elected lieutenant governor in 2016. He previously served in the state Senate as a Progressive/Democrat from 2013 to 2017 and in the state House as a Progressive Party member from 1997 to 2011. Holcombe previously served as Vermont’s education secretary from 2014 to 2018.

Both candidates led in noteworthy endorsements. The Valley News' John Gregg, commenting on the differences in both candidates' endorsements, wrote, "Zuckerman is garnering a chunk of the progressive and union support ... For her part, Holcombe has mainstream backing."[1]

Zuckerman received endorsements from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Our Revolution, and the Vermont AFL-CIO. Holcombe received endorsements from EMILY's List, former Vermont Democratic Party Chair Dottie Deans, and former Gov. Madeleine Kunin (D).[1]

Both Holcombe and Zuckerman supported a single-payer healthcare system, instituting a $15 minimum wage, and creating a paid medical and family leave program for the state.[2]

Ralph Corbo and Patrick Winburn also ran in the primary.

Vermont was one of fourteen states with a divided state government with a Republican governor and Democratic control both chambers of the state legislature. Vermont was also one of four states that voted for Hillary Clinton (D) in the 2016 presidential election led by a Republican governor in 2020. Clinton received 57% of the vote in Vermont compared to Donald Trump’s (R) 30%.

Click on candidate names below to view their key messages:


Holcombe
Zuckerman


This page focuses on Vermont's Democratic gubernatorial primary. For more in-depth information on Vermont's Republican gubernatorial primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Vermont modified its primary election process as follows:

  • Candidate filing procedures: The candidate petition signature gathering requirements were suspended for the primary election.
  • Voting procedures: Mail-in ballots request forms sent to all registered voters in the primary election.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Candidates and election results

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Vermont

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of David Zuckerman
David Zuckerman
 
47.6
 
48,150
Image of Rebecca Holcombe
Rebecca Holcombe
 
37.1
 
37,599
Image of Patrick Winburn
Patrick Winburn
 
7.6
 
7,662
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Ralph Corbo
 
1.3
 
1,288
 Other/Write-in votes
 
6.5
 
6,533

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 101,232
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[3] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.

Rebecca Holcombe

Image of Rebecca Holcombe

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

Biography:  Holcombe received a bachelor's degree from Brown University, an M.B.A. from Simmons University, and a master's of education from Harvard University. She taught social studies and science in Hanover and worked as a principal in Fairlee. Holcombe also served as the director of Dartmouth College's teacher education program.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

"I believe Vermont will come out of this recession stronger, but only if we lift everyone, not just those at the top. That means jobs that pay fairly, affordable healthcare, and a strong public school in all our communities. That's the Vermont I believe in and that's the change that we need."

"Our next governor will need to ensure that when a vaccine is available, it's properly administered ... Zuckerman ... [has] questioned the science behind vaccines. The anti-vaxxers call him their hero. As governor, I'll always follow the science.

Show sources

Sources: YouTube, "Safety First," July 21, 2020, YouTube, "Believe," July 16, 2020; Vote Smart, "Rebecca Holcombe," accessed August 8, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of Vermont in 2020.

David Zuckerman

Image of David Zuckerman

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

Biography:  Zuckerman received a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from the University of Vermont in 1995. He worked as a field hand on several farms from 1994 to 1998 before founding Full Moon Farm in 1999. Zuckerman became a member of the Vermont Progressive Party Board in 2000.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

"Together, we call Vermont our home. Our campaign is dedicated to addressing the issues across our state that will improve the lives of all Vermonters: Jobs & The Economy, The Environment, Rural Vermont, Education, Healthcare and a Vermont for All."

"I support vaccines, I support listening to medical professionals on making a COVID-19 vaccine mandatory, and in 2015, I voted for the bill that removed the philosophical exemption."

Show sources

Sources: Zuckerman's 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed August 8, 2020, YouTube, "Responding to Negative Ads," July 28, 2020; Vote Smart, "Dave Zuckerman," accessed August 8, 2020, Ballotpedia, "David Zuckerman (Vermont)," accessed August 8, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of Vermont in 2020.


Noteworthy primary endorsements

This section includes noteworthy endorsements issued in the primary, added as we learn about them. Click here to read how we define noteworthy primary endorsements. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

The following endorsements were gathered from the candidates' website linked below unless otherwise referenced. Click on the links below to explore candidates' full lists of endorsements:

Democratic primary endorsements
Endorsement Holcombe Zuckerman
Elected officials
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) ✔
U.S. Rep./Bernie 2020 campaign co-chair Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) ✔
Individuals
Former Vermont Democratic Party Chair Dottie Deans ✔
Former Vermont Democratic Party Chair Cindy Metcalf ✔
Vt. Democratic National Committeeman Tim Jerman ✔
Former Gov. Madeleine Kunin (D) ✔
Ben and Jerry's founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield ✔
350.org founder Bill McKibben ✔
Former Ohio state Sen./Bernie 2020 campaign co-chair Nina Turner (D) ✔
Organizations
Center for Popular Democracy ✔
EMILY's List ✔
The National Solidarity Movement ✔
Our Revolution ✔
People's Action ✔
People For the American Way[4] ✔

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Rebecca Holcombe

"Safety First" - Holcombe campaign ad, released July 21, 2020
"Believe" - Holcombe campaign ad, released July 16, 2020

Patrick Winburn

Winburn campaign ad, released March 3, 2020
Winburn campaign ad, released March 3, 2020
Winburn campaign ad, released February 28, 2020

David Zuckerman

"Building our Future (short)" - Zuckerman campaign ad, released July 23, 2020


Campaign finance

Self-funding

Candidates reported that they or an immediate family member contributed the following amounts to their campaigns as of July 1, 2020:

  • Holcombe: $27,541
  • Winburn: $205,677
  • Zuckerman: $13,216

Primaries in Vermont

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Vermont utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[5][6]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[7]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[8][9][10]

Race ratings: Vermont gubernatorial election, 2020
Race trackerRace ratings
November 3, 2020October 27, 2020October 20, 2020October 13, 2020
The Cook Political ReportSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe Republican
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

One of 14 Vermont counties—7.14 percent—is a Pivot County. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Essex County, Vermont 16.65% 13.40% 14.48%

In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won Vermont with 56.7 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 30.3 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Vermont cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 60.0 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Vermont supported Republican candidates for president more often than Democratic candidates, 70.0 to 26.7 percent. The state, however, favored Democrats in every election between between 2000 and 2016.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Vermont. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[11][12]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won all 104 state House districts in Vermont with an average margin of victory of 35.6 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 92 out of 104 state House districts in Vermont with an average margin of victory of 29.4 points. Clinton won 27 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 12 out of 104 state House districts in Vermont with an average margin of victory of 6.1 points.


2018

See also: Vermont gubernatorial election, 2018

General election

General election for Governor of Vermont

The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Vermont on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Phil Scott
Phil Scott (R)
 
55.2
 
151,261
Image of Christine Hallquist
Christine Hallquist (D) Candidate Connection
 
40.3
 
110,335
Image of Trevor Barlow
Trevor Barlow (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
1.2
 
3,266
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Charles Laramie (Independent)
 
0.8
 
2,287
Image of Cris Ericson
Cris Ericson (Independent)
 
0.8
 
2,129
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Stephen Marx (Earth Rights Party)
 
0.7
 
1,855
Image of Emily Peyton
Emily Peyton (Liberty Union Party)
 
0.7
 
1,839
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.4
 
1,115

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 274,087
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Vermont

Christine Hallquist defeated James Ehlers, Brenda Siegel, and Ethan Sonneborn in the Democratic primary for Governor of Vermont on August 14, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Christine Hallquist
Christine Hallquist Candidate Connection
 
48.2
 
27,622
Image of James Ehlers
James Ehlers
 
22.1
 
12,668
Image of Brenda Siegel
Brenda Siegel
 
21.4
 
12,262
Image of Ethan Sonneborn
Ethan Sonneborn
 
8.2
 
4,696

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 57,248
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Vermont

Incumbent Phil Scott defeated Keith Stern in the Republican primary for Governor of Vermont on August 14, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Phil Scott
Phil Scott
 
67.4
 
24,142
Image of Keith Stern
Keith Stern
 
32.6
 
11,669

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 35,811
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: Vermont gubernatorial election, 2016

General election

Phil Scott defeated Sue Minter and Bill Lee in the Vermont governor election.

Vermont Governor, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.png Phil Scott 52.96% 166,817
     Democratic Sue Minter 44.21% 139,253
     Liberty Union Party Bill Lee 2.83% 8,912
Total Votes 314,982
Source: Vermont Secretary of State

Primary elections

Democratic primary election

Sue Minter defeated Matt Dunne, Peter Galbraith, Cris Ericson, and H. Brooke Paige in the Democratic primary for governor.

Democratic primary for governor, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Sue Minter 49.27% 36,046
Matt Dunne 36.50% 26,706
Peter Galbraith 9.04% 6,611
Cris Ericson 0.73% 537
H. Brooke Paige 0.49% 361
Write-in votes 3.96% 2,899
Total Votes (275 of 275 Precincts Reporting) 73,160
Source: Vermont Secretary of State

Republican primary election

Phil Scott defeated Bruce Lisman in the Republican primary for governor.

Republican primary for governor, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Phil Scott 59.77% 27,728
Bruce Lisman 39.04% 18,113
Write-in votes 1.19% 553
Total Votes (275 of 275 Precincts Reporting) 46,394
Source: Vermont Secretary of State

2014

See also: Vermont gubernatorial election, 2014
Governor of Vermont, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngPeter Shumlin Incumbent 46.4% 89,509
     Republican Scott Milne 45.1% 87,075
     Libertarian Dan Feliciano 4.4% 8,428
     Liberty Union Emily Peyton 1.6% 3,157
     Independent Pete Diamondstone 0.9% 1,673
     Independent Bernard Peters 0.7% 1,434
     Independent Cris Ericson 0.6% 1,089
     Nonpartisan Write-in votes 0.4% 722
Total Votes 193,087
Election results via Vermont Secretary of State


State profile

See also: Vermont and Vermont elections, 2020
USA Vermont location map.svg

Partisan data

The information in this section was current as of August 8, 2020.

Presidential voting pattern

Congressional delegation

State executives

State legislature

  • Democrats held a supermajority in the Vermont State Senate, with 22 members to Republicans' six members. Two additional members of the state Senate were affiliated with the Vermont Progressive Party.
  • Democrats held a majority in the Vermont House of Representatives with 95 seats to Republicans' 43 seats. Members of the Vermont Progressive Party held seven seats, and independents held five.

Vermont Party Control: 1992-2024
Ten years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Governor D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D R R R R R R R R
Senate D R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
House R D D D D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D

Vermont quick stats
  • Became a state in 1791
  • 14th state admitted to the United States
  • Montpelier, Vermont's capital, had a population of 7,855 as of the 2010
    U.S. census, making it the least populous state capital in the nation.[13]
  • Members of the Vermont State Senate: 30
  • Members of the Vermont House of Representatives: 150
  • U.S. senators: 2
  • U.S. representatives: 1
More Vermont coverage on Ballotpedia:


Demographic data for Vermont
 VermontU.S.
Total population:626,088316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):9,2173,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:94.9%73.6%
Black/African American:1.1%12.6%
Asian:1.4%5.1%
Native American:0.3%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
Two or more:1.9%3%
Hispanic/Latino:1.7%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:91.8%86.7%
College graduation rate:36%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$55,176$53,889
Persons below poverty level:13.2%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Vermont.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

See also

Vermont State Executive Elections News and Analysis
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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Valley News, "Primary Source: Vt. primaries could heal or reveal party rifts," August 5, 2020
  2. ↑ VPR News, "Vermont's 2020 Primary Election Is Like No Other. Here's What You Need To Know," July 31, 2020
  3. ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
  4. ↑ People for the American Way, "People For the American Way Endorses David Zuckerman for Governor of Vermont," June 5, 2020
  5. ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed October 4, 2024
  6. ↑ Vermont Secretary of State,"Party Organization," accessed October 4, 2024
  7. ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  8. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  9. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  10. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  11. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  12. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
  13. ↑ World Population Review, "Montpelier, Vermont Population 2019," accessed May 7, 2019
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