Vermont Senate

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Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members elected from multi-member districts. Each senator represents at least 20,300 citizens. Senators are elected to two-year terms and there is no limit to the number of terms that a senator may serve.

As in other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the U.S. Senate, the Vermont Senate has special functions, such as confirming or rejecting gubernatorial appointments to executive departments, the state cabinet, commissions, boards, and (for the first six-year term) the state's judiciary.

The Vermont Senate meets at the Vermont State House in the state capital of Montpelier.

Districting and terms

The 30 senators are elected from 16 single- and multi-member senate districts.[1] The districts largely correspond to the boundaries of the state's 14 counties with adjustments to ensure equality of representation.[1] Each district elects between 1 and 3 senators at-large depending on population.[1] For the 2023–2033 districts, seven districts elect one senator each, four districts elect two each, and five districts elect three each.[2] Senators in multi-member districts are elected at-large throughout the district.[1] Vermont is the only state to have any senate districts represented by more than two senators each, as well as the only state to employ bloc voting for senate elections.[3]

Vermont is one of the 14 states where the upper house of its state legislature serves non-staggered, two-year terms, rather than the more common four-year term.[4] There are no term limits.[5] The governor is empowered to fill legislative vacancies; the party of the previous holder of the seat almost always recommends candidates, and the governor usually chooses an appointee from that list, though this process is a tradition and not legally required.[6][7][8]

Leadership

The lieutenant governor of Vermont serves as the president of the Senate, but casts a vote only if required to break a tie.[9] In the absence of the lieutenant governor, the president pro tempore presides over the Senate.[10] The president pro tempore is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation from the entire body through a Senate resolution, and is the Senate's chief leadership position.[11] The majority and minority leaders are elected by their respective party caucuses.[11][12]

Committee assignments are determined by the Committee on Committees.[13] This panel consists of the lieutenant governor, the president pro tempore and one member chosen by the full Senate.[13] From 1997 to 2024 the third member of the committee was Richard Mazza.[14] As of 2025, the third member is Ginny Lyons.[15]

Composition of the Senate (2023–2025 legislative session)

Affiliation Party
(shading indicates majority caucus)
 Total
style="background-color:Template:Party color" | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | style="background-color:Template:Party color" |
Democratic Progressive Republican Vacant
End 2012 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"| 21 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"| 1 8 30 0
2013-2014 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"| 20 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"| 2 7 30 0
Begin 2015 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" rowspan=2| 19 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" rowspan=2| 3 9 30 0
End 2016 8 29 1[16]
2017-2018 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | 21 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | 2 7 30 0
Begin 2019 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"| 22 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"| 2 6 30 0
Begin 2021 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | 21 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | 2 7 30 0
Begin 2023 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | 22 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | 1 7 30 0
Begin 2025 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | 16 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | 1 13 30 0
Latest voting share colspan=2 style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|Script error: No such module "Percentage". Script error: No such module "Percentage".

Current leadership

Position Name Party Residence District
President John Rodgers style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Rep Glover
–
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President pro tempore Philip Baruth style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Dem/Prog Burlington Chittenden-Central
Majority Leader Kesha Ram Hinsdale style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Dem Shelburne Chittenden-Southeast
Assistant Majority Leader (Whip) Andrew Perchlik style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Dem/Prog Montpelier Washington
Minority Leader Scott Beck style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Rep St. Johnsbury Caledonia
Assistant Minority Leader (Whip) Brian Collamore style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Rep Rutland Rutland

Current members

District Representative Party Residence First elected
Addison Steven Heffernan style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Rep Bristol 2024
Ruth Hardy style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Dem East Middlebury 2018
Bennington[17] Seth Bongartz style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Dem Manchester 2024
(1987–1989)
Robert Plunkett style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Dem Bennington 2024
Caledonia Scott Beck style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Rep St. Johnsbury 2024[18]
Chittenden-Central Philip Baruth style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Dem/Prog Burlington 2010
Martine Gulick style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Dem Burlington 2022
Tanya Vyhovsky Template:Party shading/Vermont Progressive | Prog/Dem Essex 2022
Chittenden-North Christopher Mattos style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Rep Milton 2024
Chittenden-Southeast Thomas Chittenden style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Dem South Burlington 2020
Virginia V. Lyons style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Dem Williston 2000
Kesha Ram Hinsdale style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Dem Shelburne 2020
Essex Russ Ingalls style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Rep Newport 2020
Franklin Randy Brock style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Rep Swanton 2017↑
(2009–2013)
Robert Norris style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Rep Sheldon 2022
Grand Isle Patrick Brennan style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Rep Colchester 2024
Lamoille Richard A. Westman style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Rep Hyde Park 2010
Orange Larry Hart style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Rep Topsham 2024
Orleans Samuel Douglass style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Rep North Troy[19] 2024
Rutland Brian Collamore style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Rep Rutland Town 2014
David Weeks style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Rep Proctor 2022
Terry Williams style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" | Rep Poultney 2022
Washington Ann Cummings style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Dem Montpelier 1996
Andrew Perchlik style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Dem/Prog Montpelier 2018
Anne Watson style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Dem/Prog Montpelier 2022
Windham Wendy Harrison style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Dem Brattleboro 2022
Nader Hashim style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Dem Dummerston 2022
Windsor Alison H. Clarkson style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Dem Woodstock 2016
Joe Major style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Dem Hartford 2024
Rebecca White style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" | Dem Hartford 2022
  • ↑: Member was originally appointed

Operations

The full Senate meets Tuesday and Friday mornings only for the first seven weeks of the annual session.[20]

The Vermont Senate is aided by a small administrative staff, including the secretary of the Vermont Senate and several assistants.[21] Since 2011, the Senate secretary has been John H. Bloomer, a former member of the Senate.[22] Previous secretaries include Ernest W. Gibson Jr., Murdock A. Campbell, and Franklin S. Billings Jr.[22]

Secretaries of the Vermont Senate since 1836 include:[23][24][25][26]

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History

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". Vermont originally had a unicameral legislature; most of the functions normally performed by an upper legislative house were the responsibility of the governor and council.[27] The state abolished the governor's council and added a senate via an 1836 constitutional amendment.[28]

The longest-serving member of the Vermont Senate was William T. Doyle; he was elected in 1968, reelected every two years until 2014, and defeated for reelection in 2016.[29] Doyle served from January 1969 to January 2017;[29] no other legislator in Vermont history—member of the Vermont House, member of the Vermont Senate, or member of both the House and Senate—has served longer than Doyle.[30]

Former districts, 2002–2022

The following is from the Vermont Secretary of State.[31]

District Senators
Addison 2
Bennington 2
Caledonia 2
Chittenden 6
Essex-Orleans 2
Franklin 2
Grand Isle 1
Lamoille 1
Orange 1
Rutland 3
Washington 3
Windham 2
Windsor 3

Notable members

For more than 100 years from the 1850s to the 1960s, the Vermont Republican Party won every election for statewide office.[32] In keeping with the "Mountain Rule", which was created to ensure party unity, governors and lieutenant governors were from opposite sides of the Green Mountains, and were limited to two years in office.[33] Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor were agreed upon by party leaders years in advance, and were often chosen for leadership positions in the House or Senate to groom them for statewide office.[34]

Governors

Most individuals who have served as governor or lieutenant governor had experience in the Vermont legislature; many served in the State Senate. Governors who served in the Vermont Senate include:

William A. Palmer (post-governorship);[35] Horace Eaton;[36] Carlos Coolidge (post-governorship);[37] John S. Robinson;[38] Frederick Holbrook;[39] Paul Dillingham;[40] George Whitman Hendee;[41] John Wolcott Stewart;[42] Julius Converse;[43] Horace Fairbanks;[44] Redfield Proctor;[45] Roswell Farnham;[46] John L. Barstow;[47] Ebenezer J. Ormsbee;[48] William P. Dillingham;[49] Carroll S. Page;[50] Levi K. Fuller;[51] Josiah Grout;[52] John G. McCullough;[53] Charles J. Bell;[54] Fletcher D. Proctor;[55] George H. Prouty;[56] John A. Mead;[57] Allen M. Fletcher;[58] Charles W. Gates;[59] Percival W. Clement;[60] Redfield Proctor Jr.;[61] John E. Weeks;[62] Stanley C. Wilson;[63] Charles Manley Smith;[64] William H. Wills;[65] Mortimer R. Proctor;[66] Lee E. Emerson;[67] Joseph B. Johnson;[68] Philip H. Hoff (post-governorship);[69] Peter Shumlin;[70] and Phil Scott (incumbent).[71]

Lieutenant governors

Vermont's lieutenant governors who served in the state senate include:

Waitstill R. Ranney,[72] Leonard Sargeant,[73] William C. Kittredge,[74] Jefferson P. Kidder,[75] Burnham Martin,[76] Levi Underwood,[77] Abraham B. Gardner,[78] Stephen Thomas,[79] George N. Dale,[80] Russell S. Taft,[81] Lyman G. Hinckley,[82] Eben Pomeroy Colton,[83] Henry A. Fletcher,Template:Sfn Farrand Stewart Stranahan,Template:Sfn Zophar Mansur,[84] Nelson W. Fisk,[85] Henry C. Bates,[86] Martin F. Allen,[87] Zed S. Stanton,[88] Charles H. Stearns,[89] Leighton P. Slack,[90] Hale K. Darling,[91] Roger W. Hulburd,[92] Abram W. Foote,[93] Walter K. Farnsworth,[94] Consuelo N. Bailey,[95] Robert S. Babcock,[96] T. Garry Buckley,[97] Barbara Snelling (post-lieutenant governorship),[98] Doug Racine,[99] David Zuckerman,[100] and John S. Rodgers (incumbent).[101]

Members of Congress

Many of Vermont's members of the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives also served in the Vermont Senate.

U.S. senators include Samuel S. Phelps,[102] George F. Edmunds,Template:Sfn Jonathan Ross,Template:Sfn Porter H. Dale,Template:Sfn Frank C. Partridge,Template:Sfn Ernest Willard Gibson,Template:Sfn Jim Jeffords,[103] and Peter Welch (incumbent).[104]

U.S. House members who served in the Vermont Senate include William Henry,Template:Sfn Ahiman Louis Miner,Template:Sfn George Tisdale Hodges,Template:Sfn Frederick E. Woodbridge,Template:Sfn H. Henry Powers,Template:Sfn David J. Foster,Template:Sfn William Hebard,Template:Sfn Andrew Tracy,Template:Sfn William W. Grout,Template:Sfn Kittredge Haskins,Template:Sfn Frank Plumley,Template:Sfn Alvah Sabin,Template:Sfn Homer Elihu Royce,Template:Sfn Worthington Curtis Smith,Template:Sfn Bradley Barlow,Template:Sfn Augustus Young,Template:Sfn Richard W. Mallary,[105] Peter Plympton Smith,[106] and Becca Balint (incumbent).[107]

Other notable members

Other notable members of the Vermont Senate include:

See also

References

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  1. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Republican Norman H. McAllister (Alburgh-Franklin) was suspended from senatorial duties in 2015 through the end of his Senate term. [1]
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  80. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  82. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  85. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
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  88. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  91. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  99. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  100. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  101. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  102. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  104. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  105. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  107. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  108. ↑ William Thomas Davis, Bench and Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Volume 2, 1895, page 341
  109. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  110. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  111. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  112. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  113. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  114. ↑ Vermont General Assembly, Journal of the Senate of the State of Vermont, 1867, page 4
  115. ↑ Template:FJC Bio
  116. ↑ James Oakes Was Appointed Federal Judge by President Nixon
  117. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  118. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

Template:Vermont Senate Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:Authority control Script error: No such module "Coordinates".

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