Vermont's Governor Debates His Challenger, With a Statehood-Era Longevity Record on the Line
Republican Gov. Phil Scott and Democratic challenger Amanda Janoo face off in a debate Wednesday, carried live by Vermont Public at 7 p.m. EDT. Janoo, an economist, won the Democratic nomination in August by defeating Aly Richards, and Democrats are making another attempt to unseat Scott.
Scott first took office in 2017, and if he is reelected in November and completes his full two-year term, he would become Vermont's longest-serving governor since it became a state in 1791. Last week, the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter changed its rating for the race from Solid Republican to Likely Republican.
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The longevity line is the one to watch here. Win again and finish the term, and Scott would outlast every Vermont governor going back to 1791 — a record built out of tenure rather than any single fight in this campaign.
The two ratings are both Republican labels, though. What moved was the margin of confidence, not the favorite, so this looks like a race getting less sleepy rather than one slipping away from the incumbent.