Vermont governor 2026

Compare candidates running in this Vermont federal race. Review their positions, voting records, campaign promises, and donor information.

Aly Richards

Party: Democrat

Amanda Janoo

Party: Democrat

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governor

Vermont governor

Election: Nov 3, 2026Updated: Apr 10, 2026
likely r— Cook Political Report

Vermont is one of only two Republican-held governorships in states won by Democrat Kamala Harris in 2024 (the other being New Hampshire). While Scott's popularity and margin of victory make this seat highly competitive, his 74% approval rating and history of 68%+ general election victories make a Democratic flip unlikely in 2026.

Aly RichardsD
Amanda JanooD

Summary

Aly Richards, 40, is the former CEO of Let's Grow Kids, a child care advocacy organization where she led a decade-long campaign that resulted in Vermont's landmark 2023 child care law. Richards grew up in Newbury and now lives in Montpelier with her husband James Pepper and identical twin sons (age 7). She earned a bachelor's degree from Brown University and worked on Barack Obama's first presidential campaign (2008) and in former Governor Peter Shumlin's administration as deputy chief of staff (2011-2015). She was appointed to the State Board of Education at age 15 while a student at Oxbow High School. Richards announced her gubernatorial campaign April 6, 2026, the second Democrat to enter the race.

Amanda Janoo, 38, is an economist and community advocate who was raised in Strafford and now lives in Burlington. She is making her first run for statewide office after a career in international economic development, including work with the United Nations. Janoo holds degrees from Macalester College and the University of Cambridge (development economics) and was a Fulbright Researcher. She is cofounder of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance of Vermont and has served on boards of the ACLU of Vermont and Rights & Democracy. She is the first Democrat to formally enter the 2026 gubernatorial race, announced March 10, 2026.

View Aly Richards's Full Profile →View Amanda Janoo's Full Profile →

Campaign Promises

Housing
  • Build more affordable housing people can afford
Healthcare
  • Improve Vermont's broken healthcare system and lower costs
Other
  • Protect communities from Washington dysfunction
Economy
  • Create an economy that lifts everyone up
Education
  • Do not support forced school district consolidation
Economy
  • Make Vermont more affordable through a wellbeing economy approach
Education
  • Reject forced school consolidation; oppose school closures
Healthcare
  • Provide free primary and preventative healthcare
Housing
  • Increase affordable housing through limiting speculative investment
Taxation
  • Support a 3% surcharge on earnings above $500,000

Key Issue Positions

Child Care and Family Support
Continue expanding affordable child care; lead with data and research
Richards' main claim to achievement is leading the campaign for Vermont's 2023 child care law that increased funding dramatically. She argues her track record of results differentiates her from opponents and proves she can deliver on promised change.
Housing Affordability
Major priority; regulatory streamlining and investment
Richards identifies housing as essential to economic prosperity and attracting/retaining workers. She advocates building houses people can afford, particularly for families.
Healthcare
Reform broken healthcare system; lower costs
Identified as one of her top policy priorities for governing, though specific proposals have not been detailed beyond general affordability goals.
Governance and Leadership
Bipartisan coalition-building; results-driven approach
Richards emphasizes a data-driven, collaborative approach that understands tradeoffs and listens to stakeholders. She claims success mobilizing broad coalitions across party lines on child care.
Education
Opposes forced school consolidation
Like Janoo, Richards rejects Scott's consolidation plan, instead supporting voluntary mergers facilitated by the state.
Affordability Crisis
Root causes are housing and healthcare costs, not taxes
Unlike Scott, Janoo argues that state taxes are not the primary affordability issue. Instead, she focuses on the dramatic increases in housing costs (35% in five years) and healthcare costs, which she says Scott has failed to address effectively.
Education
Opposes forced school consolidation; prioritizes healthcare cost control
Janoo directly opposes Scott's school consolidation plan, arguing it fails to address the true cost driver in education: healthcare. She supports keeping rural schools open and community-focused education.
Healthcare
Universal healthcare with free primary care as foundation
Janoo makes healthcare affordability central to her platform, proposing free primary and preventative care for all. She argues this addresses the core cost drivers for both families and education budgets.
Housing Affordability
Community-centered development, limit speculative investment
Proposes using tax policy to discourage speculative and corporate housing investment, directing revenue to affordable housing trust fund. Emphasizes building homes for current Vermonters rather than outside investors.
Economic Model
Reject trickle-down approach; build on local Vermont assets
Janoo criticizes Scott's decade-long focus on attracting outside investment and people. She advocates starting with Vermont's existing assets and building broad-based, locally-rooted prosperity.

Top Donors

No donor data available.

No donor data available.

Contradictions

No contradictions documented.

No contradictions documented.

What Opponents Say

Phil Scott

School consolidation is essential to reducing education costs

Scott has pushed consolidation; Richards opposes forced mergers, supporting voluntary approaches instead.

Phil Scott

School consolidation is necessary to reduce education costs and property taxes

Scott has pushed for consolidating Vermont's 119 school districts as a core part of his affordability agenda, while Janoo opposes forced consolidation.

Endorsements

Former Governor Howard Deanindividual
Vermont Democratic Partyorganization
Rick Davis, Let's Grow Kids Founderindividual
Business and healthcare leadersorganization
Vermont Democratic Party Chair Lachlan Francisorganization
Vermont Progressive Partyorganization