# List of lieutenant governors of Vermont

The lieutenant governor of Vermont is elected for a two-year term and chosen separately from the governor. The Vermont lieutenant governor's main responsibilities include acting as governor when the governor is out of state or incapacitated, presiding over the Vermont Senate, casting tie-breaking votes in the Senate when required, and acceding to the governorship in case of a vacancy. 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 committee chairs, vice chairs, and clerks.
The incumbent Lieutenant Governor is John S. Rodgers, a Republican who was first elected in 2024.

## 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 longtime political dispute between the Proctor (conservative) and Aiken-Gibson (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 view how the state is divided.

## Vacancies

Vermont has no provision for filling the lieutenant governor's office in the event of a vacancy, and it has been vacant five times. Thomas Chittenden died in August 1797 while serving as governor, and Lieutenant Governor Paul Brigham served until the end of Chittenden's term in October. Brigham, the winner of that year's September election for lieutenant governor, began his new term in October and was succeeded as governor by Isaac Tichenor. In February 1870, Governor Peter T. Washburn died and George Whitman Hendee became governor. The lieutenant governor's office remained vacant until George N. Dale, the winner of that September's election, took office in October. In November 1927, Lieutenant Governor Hollister Jackson died in the Great Vermont Flood of 1927, and the position remained vacant until Stanley C. Wilson took office in January 1929. In January 1950, Governor Ernest W. Gibson Jr. resigned and Harold J. Arthur became governor. The lieutenant governor's office was vacant until Joseph B. Johnson, the winner of the 1950 election, took office in January 1951. In August 1991, Governor Richard A. Snelling died and Howard Dean succeeded him. The lieutenant governorship remained vacant until Snelling's widow Barbara, the winner of the 1992 election, took office in January 1993.

## List of lieutenant governors

This is a list of lieutenant governors of Vermont in chronological order:

### Vermont Republic

| # | 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 |

### State of Vermont

| # | Name | Party | Term | Governor(s) served under |
| 1 | Peter Olcott | — | 1791–1794 | Thomas Chittenden |
| 2 | Jonathan Hunt | — | 1794–1796 | Thomas Chittenden |
| 3 | Paul Brigham | Democratic-Republican | 1796–1813 | Thomas Chittenden |
| 3 | Paul Brigham | Democratic-Republican | 1796–1813 | himself |
| 3 | Paul Brigham | Democratic-Republican | 1796–1813 | Isaac Tichenor (F) |
| 3 | Paul Brigham | Democratic-Republican | 1796–1813 | Israel Smith (D-R) |
| 3 | Paul Brigham | Democratic-Republican | 1796–1813 | Isaac Tichenor (F) |
| 3 | Paul Brigham | Democratic-Republican | 1796–1813 | Jonas Galusha (D-R) |
| 4 | William Chamberlain | Federalist | 1813–1815 | Martin Chittenden (F) |
| 5 | Paul Brigham | Democratic-Republican | 1815–1820 | Jonas Galusha (D-R) |
| 6 | William Cahoon | Democratic-Republican | 1820–1822 | Richard Skinner (D-R) |
| 7 | Aaron Leland | Democratic-Republican | 1822–1827 | Richard Skinner (D-R) |
| 7 | Aaron Leland | Democratic-Republican | 1822–1827 | Cornelius P. Van Ness (D-R) |
| 7 | Aaron Leland | Democratic-Republican | 1822–1827 | Ezra Butler (NR) |
| 8 | Henry Olin | Democratic-Republican | 1827–1830 | Ezra Butler (NR) |
| 9 | Mark Richards | National Republican | 1830–1831 | Samuel C. Crafts (NR) |
| 10 | Lebbeus Egerton | Anti-Masonic | 1831–1835 | William A. Palmer (A-M) |
| 11 | Silas H. Jennison | Whig / Anti-Masonic | 1835–1836 | Silas H. Jennison (W) |
| 12 | David M. Camp | Whig | 1836–1841 | Silas H. Jennison (W) |
| 13 | Waitstill R. Ranney | Whig | 1841–1843 | Charles Paine (W) |
| 14 | Horace Eaton | Whig | 1843–1846 | John Mattocks (W) |
| 14 | Horace Eaton | Whig | 1843–1846 | William Slade (W) |
| 15 | Leonard Sargeant | Whig | 1846–1848 | Horace Eaton (W) |
| 16 | Robert Pierpoint | Whig | 1848–1850 | Carlos Coolidge (W) |
| 17 | Julius Converse | Whig | 1850–1852 | Charles K. Williams (W) |
| 18 | William C. Kittredge | Whig | 1852–1853 | Erastus Fairbanks (W) |
| 19 | Jefferson P. Kidder | Democratic | 1853–1854 | John S. Robinson (D) |
| 20 | Ryland Fletcher | Republican | 1854–1856 | Stephen Royce (R) |
| 21 | James M. Slade | Republican | 1856–1858 | Ryland Fletcher (R) |
| 22 | Burnham Martin | Republican | 1858–1860 | Hiland Hall (R) |
| 23 | Levi Underwood | Republican | 1860–1862 | Hiland Hall (R) |
| 23 | Levi Underwood | Republican | 1860–1862 | Erastus Fairbanks (R) |
| 24 | Paul Dillingham | Republican / National Union | 1862–1865 | Frederick Holbrook (R) |
| 24 | Paul Dillingham | Republican / National Union | 1862–1865 | J. Gregory Smith (R) |
| 25 | Abraham B. Gardner | Republican | 1865–1867 | Paul Dillingham (R) |
| 26 | Stephen Thomas | Republican | 1867–1869 | John B. Page (R) |
| 27 | George W. Hendee | Republican | 1869–1870 | Peter T. Washburn (R) |
| 28 | George N. Dale | Republican | 1870–1872 | George W. Hendee (R) |
| 28 | George N. Dale | Republican | 1870–1872 | John W. Stewart (R) |
| 29 | Russell S. Taft | Republican | 1872–1874 | Julius Converse (R) |
| 30 | Lyman G. Hinckley | Republican | 1874–1876 | Asahel Peck (R) |
| 31 | Redfield Proctor | Republican | 1876–1878 | Horace Fairbanks (R) |
| 32 | Eben Pomeroy Colton | Republican | 1878–1880 | Redfield Proctor (R) |
| 33 | John L. Barstow | Republican | 1880–1882 | Roswell Farnham (R) |
| 34 | Samuel E. Pingree | Republican | 1882–1884 | John L. Barstow (R) |
| 35 | Ebenezer J. Ormsbee | Republican | 1884–1886 | Samuel E. Pingree (R) |
| 36 | Levi K. Fuller | Republican | 1886–1888 | Ebenezer J. Ormsbee (R) |
| 37 | Urban A. Woodbury | Republican | 1888–1890 | William P. Dillingham (R) |
| 38 | Henry A. Fletcher | Republican | 1890–1892 | Carroll S. Page (R) |
| 39 | Farrand Stewart Stranahan | Republican | 1892–1894 | Levi K. Fuller (R) |
| 40 | Zophar M. Mansur | Republican | 1894–1896 | Urban A. Woodbury (R) |
| 41 | Nelson W. Fisk | Republican | 1896–1898 | Josiah Grout (R) |
| 42 | Henry C. Bates | Republican | 1898–1900 | Edward C. Smith (R) |
| 43 | Martin F. Allen | Republican | 1900–1902 | William W. Stickney (R) |
| 44 | Zed S. Stanton | Republican | 1902–1904 | John G. McCullough (R) |
| 45 | Charles H. Stearns | Republican | 1904–1906 | Charles J. Bell (R) |
| 46 | George H. Prouty | Republican | 1906–1908 | Fletcher D. Proctor (R) |
| 47 | John A. Mead | Republican | 1908–1910 | George H. Prouty (R) |
| 48 | Leighton P. Slack | Republican | 1910–1912 | John A. Mead (R) |
| 49 | Frank E. Howe | Republican | 1912–1915 | Allen M. Fletcher (R) |
| 50 | Hale K. Darling | Republican | 1915–1917 | Charles W. Gates (R) |
| 51 | Roger W. Hulburd | Republican | 1917–1919 | Horace F. Graham (R) |
| 52 | Mason S. Stone | Republican | 1919–1921 | Percival W. Clement (R) |
| 53 | Abram W. Foote | Republican | 1921–1923 | James Hartness (R) |
| 54 | Franklin S. Billings | Republican | 1923–1925 | Redfield Proctor Jr. (R) |
| 55 | Walter K. Farnsworth | Republican | 1925–1927 | Franklin S. Billings (R) |
| 56 | Hollister Jackson | Republican | 1927–1927 | John E. Weeks (R) |
| 57 | Stanley C. Wilson | Republican | 1929–1931 | John E. Weeks (R) |
| 58 | Benjamin Williams | Republican | 1931–1933 | Stanley C. Wilson (R) |
| 59 | Charles M. Smith | Republican | 1933–1935 | Stanley C. Wilson (R) |
| 60 | George D. Aiken | Republican | 1935–1937 | Charles Manley Smith (R) |
| 61 | William H. Wills | Republican | 1937–1941 | George D. Aiken (R) |
| 62 | Mortimer R. Proctor | Republican | 1941–1945 | William H. Wills (R) |
| 63 | Lee E. Emerson | Republican | 1945–1949 | Mortimer R. Proctor (R) |
| 63 | Lee E. Emerson | Republican | 1945–1949 | Ernest W. Gibson Jr. (R) |
| 64 | Harold J. Arthur | Republican | 1949–1950 | Ernest W. Gibson Jr. (R) |
| 65 | Joseph B. Johnson | Republican | 1951–1955 | Lee E. Emerson (R) |
| 66 | Consuelo N. Bailey | Republican | 1955–1957 | Joseph B. Johnson (R) |
| 67 | Robert T. Stafford | Republican | 1957–1959 | Joseph B. Johnson (R) |
| 68 | Robert S. Babcock | Republican | 1959–1961 | Robert T. Stafford (R) |
| 69 | Ralph A. Foote | Republican | 1961–1965 | F. Ray Keyser Jr. (R) |
| 69 | Ralph A. Foote | Republican | 1961–1965 | Philip H. Hoff (D) |
| 70 | John J. Daley | Democratic | 1965–1969 | Philip H. Hoff (D) |
| 71 | Thomas L. Hayes | Republican | 1969–1971 | Deane C. Davis (R) |
| 72 | John S. Burgess | Republican | 1971–1975 | Deane C. Davis (R) |
| 72 | John S. Burgess | Republican | 1971–1975 | Thomas P. Salmon (D) |
| 73 | Brian D. Burns | Democratic | 1975–1977 | Thomas P. Salmon (D) |
| 74 | T. Garry Buckley | Republican | 1977–1979 | Richard Snelling (R) |
| 75 | Madeleine Kunin | Democratic | 1979–1983 | Richard Snelling (R) |
| 76 | Peter P. Smith | Republican | 1983–1987 | Richard Snelling (R) |
| 76 | Peter P. Smith | Republican | 1983–1987 | Madeleine Kunin (D) |
| 77 | Howard Dean | Democratic | 1987–1991 | Madeleine Kunin (D) |
| 77 | Howard Dean | Democratic | 1987–1991 | Richard Snelling (R) |
| 78 | Barbara Snelling | Republican | 1993–1997 | Howard Dean (D) |
| 79 | Doug Racine | Democratic | 1997–2003 | Howard Dean (D) |
| 80 | Brian Dubie | Republican | 2003–2011 | Jim Douglas (R) |
| 81 | Phil Scott | Republican | 2011–2017 | Peter Shumlin (D) |
| 82 | David Zuckerman | Progressive–Democratic | 2017–2021 | Phil Scott (R) |
| 83 | Molly Gray | Democratic | 2021–2023 | Phil Scott (R) |
| 84 | David Zuckerman | Progressive–Democratic | 2023–2025 | Phil Scott (R) |
| 85 | John S. Rodgers | Republican | 2025–present | Phil Scott (R) |