By Heather F. Shouldice on behalf of the Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance September 2026
Vermont voters are not just choosing candidates this year. They are helping determine who will shape the policy agenda when lawmakers return to Montpelier in January.
With Governor Phil Scott seeking his sixth term and both the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore posts opening simultaneously, the 2026 election is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in recent memory. House Speaker and Senate President Pro Tempore are stepping down, creating a rare transition that could reshape priorities at the State House.
The timing is significant. Lawmakers will return in 2027 facing unfinished work on education reform, property taxes, housing, healthcare, affordability, and climate policy. At the same time, roughly 30 House members and several senators are expected to leave the Legislature, resulting in a substantial loss of institutional knowledge.
Open Seats, New Leaders
All 150 House seats are on the ballot, and approximately one-fifth of the chamber could turn over. The Speaker's gavel will be open for the first time since 2021, while the Senate will also select a new President Pro Tempore when lawmakers organize in January.
Because Vermont's legislative leaders are elected by lawmakers rather than voters, the leadership contests effectively happen twice: first in November, when voters decide the makeup of the Legislature, and again in January, when legislators choose who will lead them.
That distinction matters. Leadership turnover affects itself far more than titles. The Speaker and Pro Tempore influence committee assignments, committee chairs, legislative priorities, budget negotiations, and the movement of bills through the process. Even if partisan control remains unchanged, new leaders can significantly alter the direction and pace of policymaking.
Governor Scott's Role and the Executive Contest
Governor Phil Scott is seeking his sixth term, which would extend his tenure as Vermont's longest-serving continuously elected governor. Following the August primaries, Governor Scott faces economist Amanda Janoo, who secured the Democratic nomination.
His focus remains affordability. Education spending, property taxes, housing costs,
healthcare, energy policy, public safety, and a commitment to farm sustainability are increasingly being debated through the broader question of whether Vermont remains affordable for residents and businesses.
The Legislative Balance Shift
The backdrop of this election is heavily influenced by the 2024 cycle, where Democrats lost their legislative supermajorities. That shift ended the Legislature's unilateral ability to override gubernatorial vetoes, elevating the stakes for fiscal negotiations, committee control, and cross-party compromise heading into 2027.
What It Means for Vermont Agriculture
Agriculture may not dominate campaign headlines, but the election could have meaningful implications for Vermont's farm economy.
The House Agriculture Committee is a particular wildcard. Because leadership influences committee assignments and chairmanships, the next Speaker will help determine how agricultural issues move through the Legislature in 2027.
A number of issues are expected to return, including farmland preservation, municipal authority over farms, land access, dairy economics, permitting, farmworker support, solar siting on agricultural land, regulation of on-farm structures, ongoing Act 250 modernization, and water quality mandates.
Organizations representing agriculture and working lands have spent recent years building broader coalitions around affordability, rural economic development, and local control. Rural Vermont Rising has emerged as an important grassroots voice in that effort, helping connect agriculture, working lands, housing, and affordability issues to broader concerns facing rural communities. In Vermont's relationship-driven political environment, grassroots engagement often determines which issues gain traction with lawmakers. As new legislative leaders and committee chairs establish priorities in 2027, Vermont Rising and similar coalitions can play an important role in ensuring that farm viability, local control, and rural economic concerns remain part of the policy conversation.
For agriculture, the key question may not be who wins any single race. It may be who controls the committees, who holds the gavels, and who sets the legislative agenda.
Looking Ahead
By January 2027, Vermont will have a new House Speaker, a new Senate President Pro Tempore, new committee leadership, and one of the least experienced legislative bodies the State House has seen in years.
The November election will determine who comes to Montpelier. The decisions lawmakers make afterward will determine who holds power. In a year defined by open leadership posts, significant turnover, and major unfinished policy debates, both outcomes may prove equally important.