Scott won a sixth term as Vermont’s governor — a Republican thriving in one of the most Democratic states in America.
Phil Scott, 68, does not fit the usual political mold. He is a construction-company owner and a champion stock-car racer who still competes. He spent a decade in the Vermont Senate and six years as lieutenant governor before winning the governorship in 2016 — and Vermont’s two-year terms mean he has now won it six times.
Scott is a moderate who has broken with his national party on guns, abortion and immigration, and he signed the first gun-control laws in Vermont’s history after a school-shooting plot. Democratic voters in Vermont keep re-electing him anyway, often by wide margins.
His sixth term begins in a state struggling with housing costs and a tight budget. Watch his long-running tug-of-war with the Democratic legislature over property taxes and school spending.
Fast facts
- Age: 68
- Party: Republican
- Office: Governor of Vermont
- State: Vermont
- Previous job: Governor of Vermont (since 2017)
- Called by AP: verified in the desk’s 1:30 a.m. ET check, Nov. 4
Part of the Zark News Election 2026 winners profile series. Winners are listed as called by the Associated Press.
