Vermonters like incumbent Governors

A short lesson in history for Democrats thinking about a challenge to Republican Governor Jim Douglas next year: Vermonters don’t oust incumbent Governors.

The last time a sitting Governor lost re-election was back in 1962, when Republican Ray Keyser lost his bid for a second term to Democrat Philip Hoff by just 1,348 votes – 50.6%-49.4%. That was the only loss for an incumbent Governor in the 20th century.

U.S. Senators do even better: since the direct election of Senators began in 1912, Vermonters have never tossed a sitting Senator. But some races have been competitive – and close.

In 1976, Republican Senator Robert Stafford, who had been appointed in 1971 when Winston Prouty died, defeated incumbent Governor Thomas Salmon by less than 9,000 votes – 50%-45%. Four years later, when Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy was seeking re-election to a second term, he won by a tight 2,755 vote margin – 49.8%-48.5% -- against Republican Stewart Ledbetter.

Some national pundits thought the 1970 race would get interesting: the 43-year-old Hoff was finishing his third term as Governor and challenged Prouty, who at 64 had spent 26 years in Washington. But Prouty wound up winning easily, 59%-40%.