1986 Vermont gubernatorial election

Last updated

1986 Vermont gubernatorial election
Flag of Vermont.svg
  1984 November 4, 1986 (1986-11-04) 1988  
  Madeleine Kunin (D-VT).jpg Peter Plympton Smith.jpg Portrait of Bernie Sanders in c. 1986 (1).jpg
Nominee Madeleine Kunin Peter Smith Bernie Sanders
Party Democratic Republican Independent
Electoral vote139392
Popular vote92,48575,23928,418
Percentage47.0%38.2%14.4%

1986 Vermont gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
1986 Vermont gubernatorial election results map by municipality.svg
Kunin:     30-40%     40-50%     50-60%     60-70%
Smith:     30-40%     40-50%     50-60%     60-70%

Governor before election

Madeleine Kunin
Democratic

Elected Governor

Madeleine Kunin
Democratic

The 1986 Vermont gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 1986. Incumbent Democrat Madeleine Kunin ran successfully for re-election to a second term as Governor of Vermont, defeating Republican candidate Peter Plympton Smith and independent candidate Bernie Sanders. Since no candidate won a majority of the popular vote, Kunin was elected by the Vermont General Assembly per the state constitution. [1]

Contents

This was the first time since 1912 that none of the candidates received a majority of the vote. [2] Along with Democrats' takeover of the state House for the first time in history, Democrats won a trifecta in the state for the first time ever.

Democratic primary

Results

Democratic primary results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Madeleine M. Kunin (inc.) 19,401 95.1
Democratic Write-ins9934.9
Total votes20,394 100

Republican primary

Results

Republican primary results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Peter Plympton Smith 24,837 96.8
Republican Write-ins8133.2
Total votes25,650 100

Liberty Union primary

Results

Liberty Union primary results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Liberty Union Richard F. Gottlieb 135 86.0
Liberty Union Bernie Sanders (write-in)1610.2
Liberty Union Write-ins (other)63.8
Total votes157 100

General election

Candidates

Results

1986 Vermont gubernatorial election [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Madeleine M. Kunin (inc.) 92,485 47.0 -3.0
Republican Peter Plympton Smith75,23938.2-10.3
Independent Bernie Sanders28,41814.4+14.4
Liberty Union Richard F. Gottlieb4910.2-0.1
Write-in Write-ins830.1n/a
Total votes196,716 100

After no candidate received a majority of the vote, the Vermont Legislature, consisting of 150 representatives and 30 senators, voted to decide the winner, per the state constitution.

Vermont legislature vote results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Madeleine M. Kunin (inc.) 139 77.22
Republican Peter Plympton Smith3921.66
Independent Bernie Sanders21.11
Total votes180 100

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madeleine Kunin</span> American politician

Madeleine Kunin is a Swiss-born American diplomat, author and politician. She served as the 77th governor of Vermont from 1985 until 1991, as a member of the Democratic Party. She also served as United States Ambassador to Switzerland from 1996 to 1999. She was Vermont's first and, to date, only female governor as well as the first Jewish governor of Vermont. She was also the first Jewish woman to be elected governor of a U.S. state. Kunin is currently a James Marsh Professor-at-Large at the University of Vermont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vermont's at-large congressional district</span> At-large U.S. House district for Vermont

Vermont has been represented in the United States House of Representatives by a single at-large congressional district since the 1930 census, when the state lost its second seat, obsoleting its 1st and 2nd congressional districts. There were once six districts in Vermont, all of which were eliminated after various censuses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Clavelle</span> American politician

Peter A. Clavelle is an American politician who served as the 38th and 40th mayor of Burlington, Vermont, and was the first member of a third party to hold the office since James Edmund Burke in 1935. Bernie Sanders also won several elections as an independent candidate in the 1980s, defeating both Republican and Democratic candidates. Sanders and Clavelle founded the Vermont Progressive Party during Sanders' time as mayor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 United States Senate election in Vermont</span>

The 2006 United States Senate election in Vermont was held November 7, 2006. Incumbent independent Senator Jim Jeffords decided to retire rather than seek reelection to a fourth term, and Bernie Sanders was elected to succeed him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Plympton Smith</span> American politician

Peter Plympton Smith is an American educator and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from the U.S. state of Vermont, the 76th lieutenant governor of Vermont, and an education administrator. He served as the founding president of the Community College of Vermont, the founding president of California State University, Monterey Bay, and as assistant director general for education of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The politics of Vermont encompass the acts of the elected legislative bodies of the US state, the actions of its governors, as overseen by the Vermont courts, and the acts of the political parties that vie for elective power within the state. The state's politics include local Democratic and Republican political parties, as well as several smaller parties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Pollina</span> American politician

Anthony Pollina is an American politician who has served as Chair of the Vermont Progressive Party since 2017, and was as a member of the Vermont Senate from 2011 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in Vermont</span> Elections in a U.S. state

Elections in Vermont are authorized under Chapter II of the Vermont State Constitution, articles 43–49, which establishes elections for the state level officers, cabinet, and legislature. Articles 50–53 establish the election of county-level officers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Bouricius</span> American politician

Terrill G. Bouricius is an American politician who served in the Vermont House of Representatives from the Chittenden-7-4 district from 1991 to 2001, as a member of the Vermont Progressive Party. Prior to his tenure in the state house, he served on the city council in Burlington, Vermont, from 1981 to 1991, from the 2nd district, and served as president of the city council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 United States Senate election in Vermont</span>

The 2012 United States Senate election in Vermont was held on November 6, 2012. Incumbent independent Senator Bernie Sanders won reelection to a second term in a landslide, defeating Republican nominee John MacGovern with 71% of the vote. Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, was first elected with 65% of the vote in 2006, and was the first non-Republican to win this seat since 1850.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1990 United States House of Representatives election in Vermont</span>

The 1990 United States House of Representatives election in Vermont was held on Tuesday, November 6, 1990 to elect the U.S. representative from the state's at-large congressional district. The election coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1988 Vermont gubernatorial election</span>

The 1988 Vermont gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 1988. Incumbent Democrat Madeleine Kunin ran successfully for re-election to a third term as Governor of Vermont, defeating Republican candidate Michael Bernhardt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1976 Vermont gubernatorial election</span>

The 1976 Vermont gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 1976. Incumbent Democrat Thomas P. Salmon did not seek another term as Governor of Vermont, instead running for United States Senate. Republican candidate Richard A. Snelling won the election, defeating Democratic candidate Stella B. Hackel and Liberty Union candidate Bernie Sanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1912 Vermont gubernatorial election</span>

The 1912 Vermont gubernatorial election took place on September 3, 1912. Incumbent Republican John A. Mead, per the "Mountain Rule", did not run for re-election to a second term as Governor of Vermont. Republican candidate Allen M. Fletcher defeated Democratic candidate Harland B. Howe and Progressive candidate Fraser Metzger to succeed him. Since no candidate won a majority of the popular vote, the election was decided and Fletcher was elected by the Vermont General Assembly in accordance with the state constitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1988 United States House of Representatives election in Vermont</span> Congressional election

The 1988 United States House of Representatives election in Vermont was held on November 8, 1988. Republican nominee Peter Plympton Smith defeated independent candidate Bernie Sanders and Democratic nominee Paul N. Poirier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992 United States House of Representatives election in Vermont</span>

The 1992 United States House of Representatives election in Vermont was held on Tuesday, November 3, 1992 to elect the U.S. representative from the state's at-large congressional district. The election coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election and an election to the U.S. Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1983 Burlington mayoral election</span> Mayoral election

The 1983 Burlington mayoral election was held March 1, 1983. Incumbent Mayor Bernie Sanders won with 52.12% of the popular vote against Democratic nominee Judith Stephany and Republican nominee James Gilson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Vermont gubernatorial election</span>

The 2020 Vermont gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the Governor of Vermont. As Vermont does not impose term limits upon its governors, incumbent Republican Governor Phil Scott was eligible to run for reelection to a third two-year term in office. On November 18, 2019, he confirmed that he was running for reelection, but did not yet publicly announce his campaign. On May 28, 2020, he officially announced his candidacy but stated that he would not campaign, maintain a campaign staff, or fundraise because of the state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Vermont. The primary was held on August 11. Scott won re-election to a third term in a landslide, defeating Progressive and Democratic nominee, Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1993 Burlington mayoral election</span> Mayoral election

The 1993 Burlington mayoral election was held on March 2, 1993. Republican nominee Peter Brownell defeated incumbent Progressive Coalition Mayor Peter Clavelle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judy Stephany</span> American politician

Judith B. Stephany Ahearn is an American politician who served as a member of the Vermont State Senate and the Vermont House of Representatives, and was the Democratic nominee for Mayor of Burlington in 1983, losing to independent Bernie Sanders.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "General Election Results - Governor - 1789-2012" (PDF). Office of the Vermont Secretary of State. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  2. Doyle 1992, p. 222.
  3. 1 2 3 "Primary Election Results" (PDF). Office of the Vermont Secretary of State. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  4. "Friends honor Sanders as he says goodbye". The Burlington Free Press . April 4, 1989. p. 1. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020 via Newspapers.com.

Works cited