Republican Gov. Phil Scott has won a fifth term in heavily Democratic Vermont, defeating Esther Charlestin, a Democrat-Progressive who is a newcomer to statewide politics. Also on the ballot were independents Kevin Hoyt and Eli “Poa” Mutino, and minor party candidate June Goodband.
Scott, a 66-year-old former legislator and business owner, urged voters to pick someone who will work with him to make Vermont more affordable and stop the increasing taxes and fees from the Legislature.
Charlestin, 34, countered that new leadership is needed and says Vermont is worse off than it was in 2017 when Scott took office. An educator, a consultant and co-chair of the Vermont Commission on Women, and a former member of her town's selectboard, she is a first generation Haitian American.
Scott has clashed with the Democrat-controlled legislature over spending and initiatives, vetoing eight bills this past session. In response, the Legislature overrode six of those vetoes in June.
Scott says he worked to make Vermont more affordable while also investing in housing, public safety, mental health, climate mitigation and other issues.
“Unfortunately over the last two years ... the supermajority in the Legislature has had other ideas, passing an historic double-digit property tax increase, a new payroll tax, a 20% DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) hike, plans to raise your home heating costs and more,” he said at a recent debate hosted by the news outlet VTdigger.
Charlestin was endorsed by former Gov. Howard Dean, current Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman and Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak.
Scott has been a critic of former President Donald Trump and had endorsed former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley for president in the state’s July primary before she dropped out. He says he was one of the 66% of Vermont voters who cast their ballots in 2020 for President Joe Biden, a Democrat.
Scott has faced pressure this fall from advocates, municipal leaders and lawmakers after new caps imposed by the legislature to scale down the pandemic-era motel voucher program for the most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness took effect. The households will be eligible for motel housing again in the winter starting Dec. 1.
Scott said the caps came from the Legislature in its budget proposal and $10 million was allocated to provide more emergency shelters and the administration doesn’t think that’s enough. He said in October that the state was working to set up three family shelters in Waterbury, Williston and Montpelier, but advocates say the response didn't come soon enough.