2010 Vermont gubernatorial election

For related races, see 2010 United States gubernatorial elections.

The 2010 Vermont gubernatorial general election took place on November 2.^[1] Vermont and New Hampshire are the only two states where the governor serves a two-year term instead of four.^[2] Primary elections took place on August 24.^[1]

2010 Vermont gubernatorial election

← 2008 November 2, 2010 2012 →

Nominee Peter Shumlin Brian Dubie Party Democratic Republican Electoral vote 145 28 Popular vote 119,543 115,212 Percentage 49.48% 47.69%

County results Municipality results Shumlin:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90% Dubie:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90%

Governor before election Jim Douglas Republican Elected Governor Peter Shumlin Democratic

Incumbent Republican governor Jim Douglas was not a candidate for re-election.^[3] Brian Dubie, the incumbent Lieutenant Governor, was the Republican nominee.^[1] The Democratic nomination was won by Peter Shumlin, the President pro tempore of the Vermont Senate.^[1]

The result was a 119,543 (49.5 percent) to 115,212 (47.7 percent) plurality for Shumlin.^[1] Several minor candidates got between 600 and 2,000 votes each.^[1] In accordance with the Vermont Constitution, if no candidate receives a majority, the contest is decided by the Vermont General Assembly.^[4] In such races, the combined Vermont House and Senate almost always chooses the candidate who won a plurality.^[4] Dubie indicated on November 3 that he did not intend to ask for a recount or contest the election in the legislature, and conceded to Shumlin.^[5] On January 6, 2011, with 173 of 180 members voting, 87 votes were necessary for a choice.^[6] The General Assembly elected Shumlin on the first ballot, 145–28.^[6]

Republican primary

Candidate

• Brian Dubie, Lieutenant Governor^[7]

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Susan Bartlett, state senator^[8]
• Matt Dunne, Google executive and former state senator^[9]
• Deborah Markowitz, Secretary of State of Vermont^[10]
• Doug Racine, state senator, former lieutenant governor and nominee for governor in 2002^[10]
• Peter Shumlin, Senate President Pro Tempore^[11]

Peter Shumlin won the Democratic primary according to the uncertified tabulation of statewide votes released by the Office of the Secretary of State on August 27, 2010, by 197 votes over Doug Racine, who requested a recount.^[12] The recount began September 8.^[13] Racine conceded on September 10.^[14]

Results

Results by county:

  Shumlin—50–60%

  Shumlin—30–40%

  Racine—30–40%

  Markowitz—30–40%

  Dunne—30–40%

  Dunne—40–50%

Democratic primary results^[12][15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Peter Shumlin	18,276	24.8
	Democratic	Doug Racine	18,079	24.6
	Democratic	Deborah Markowitz	17,579	23.9
	Democratic	Matt Dunne	15,323	20.8
	Democratic	Susan Bartlett	3,759	5.1
	Democratic	Write-in	560	0.8
Total votes			73,576	100

Progressive primary

Candidates

• Martha Abbott, state party chair; Abbott won the primary, then withdrew from the election, so the party did not have a candidate on the ballot.^[16] The Party had promised not to play a "spoiler" role in the election if Shumlin supported single-payer health care, which he did.^[17]

Results

Vermont Progressive primary results^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressive	Martha Abbott	257	69.6
	Progressive	Write-in	112	30.4
Total votes			369	100

Independent and third-party candidates

• Cris Ericson, United States Marijuana Party
• Dan Feliciano, Independent
• Ben Mitchell, Liberty Union Party
• Em Payton, Independent
• Dennis Steele, Independent

General election

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
Cook Political Report[18]	Tossup	October 14, 2010
Rothenberg[19]	Tilt D (flip)	October 28, 2010
RealClearPolitics[20]	Tossup	November 1, 2010
Sabato's Crystal Ball[21]	Lean D (flip)	October 28, 2010
CQ Politics[22]	Tossup	October 28, 2010

Polling

Poll source	Dates administered	Brian Dubie (R)	Peter Shumlin (D)
Rasmussen Reports[23]	October 28, 2010	45%	50%
Vermont Public Radio[24]	October 12, 2010	44%	43%
Rasmussen Reports[25]	September 13, 2010	46%	49%
Rasmussen Reports[26]	June 17, 2010	55%	36%
Rasmussen Reports[27]	March 18, 2010	51%	33%

Results

2010 Vermont gubernatorial election^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Peter Shumlin	119,543	49.48%	+27.8%
	Republican	Brian Dubie	115,212	47.69%	−5.7%
	Independent	Dennis Steele	1,917	0.79%	n/a
	Marijuana	Cris Ericson	1,819	0.75%	n/a
	Independent	Dan Feliciano	1,341	0.56%	n/a
	Independent	Emily Peyton	684	0.28%	n/a
	Liberty Union	Ben Mitchell	429	0.18%	−0.33%
	Write-in		660	0.27%	n/a
Plurality			4,331
Total votes			241,605	100.00%
	Democratic gain from Republican

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Addison (largest municipality: Middlebury)
• Bennington (largest municipality: Bennington)
• Chittenden (largest municipality: Burlington)
• Orange (Largest city: Randolph)
• Washington (largest municipality: Barre)
• Windham (largest municipality: Brattleboro)
• Windsor (largest municipality: Hartford)

General Assembly results

Vermont's Constitution requires the Vermont General Assembly to select if no candidate obtains a majority. The combined Vermont House and Senate almost always chooses the candidate who won a plurality. The legislature officially elected Peter Shumlin on January 6, 2011.

2010 gubernatorial election results, Legislative Joint Assembly

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Peter Shumlin	145	80.6%	N/A
	Republican	Brian Dubie	28	15.6%	N/A
Total votes			173 of 180	96.2%	N/A

See also

• List of governors of Vermont
• 2010 United States gubernatorial elections