Phil Scott

Phil Scott
Born	Philip Brian Scott 4 8, 1958
Birthplace	Barre, Vermont, U.S.
Occupation	Politician, businessman, stock car racer
Education	University of Vermont (BS)
Children	2
Website	[Official website Official site]

Philip Brian Scott (born August 4, 1958) is an American politician, businessman, and stock car racing driver serving as the 82nd governor of Vermont since January 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Scott has built an unusual political career in what the Cook Partisan Voting Index rates as the most Democratic-leaning state in the nation. Before becoming governor, he represented the Washington District in the Vermont Senate from 2001 to 2011 and served as the 81st lieutenant governor of Vermont from 2011 to 2017. First elected governor in 2016, Scott has been reelected four times—in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024—with his 2024 margin of victory constituting the largest in any Vermont gubernatorial election since 1946. Often described as a moderate or liberal Republican, Scott has consistently ranked among the most popular governors in the United States, and as of 2025, he is the second-longest serving incumbent governor in the country. His political brand has centered on fiscal restraint, affordability, and bipartisan governance in a state with an overwhelmingly Democratic legislature.

Early Life

Philip Brian Scott was born on August 4, 1958, in Barre, Vermont, a small city in Washington County long associated with the granite quarrying industry. He grew up in the region and developed an early interest in both business and motorsports. Barre and the surrounding communities of central Vermont provided the backdrop for Scott's formative years, and he maintained deep ties to the area throughout his life.

Scott became involved in stock car racing, a pursuit that would become one of his most distinctive personal characteristics and a defining feature of his public identity. He competed at the Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, one of the most prominent short-track racing venues in New England. His racing career brought him local fame and helped establish his reputation as a relatable, down-to-earth figure in Vermont public life. Scott's involvement in racing continued even as he pursued careers in business and politics, making him one of the few sitting governors in American history to actively compete in motorsports.

In addition to racing, Scott entered the construction industry, establishing himself as a businessman in central Vermont. His business background would later inform his political focus on economic issues, fiscal responsibility, and the concerns of small-business owners in the state.

Education

Scott attended the University of Vermont in Burlington, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. The University of Vermont, the state's flagship public university, provided Scott with an educational foundation that he would carry into his subsequent careers in business and public service.

Career

Vermont Senate (2001–2011)

Scott entered electoral politics by winning a seat representing the Washington District in the Vermont Senate. He began serving on January 5, 2001, succeeding Jeb Spaulding in the district. During his time in the Senate, Scott served alongside fellow Washington District senators Bill Doyle and Ann Cummings.

Scott served five terms in the Vermont Senate, spanning a decade of legislative work from 2001 through 2011. During this period, he developed a reputation as a pragmatic legislator willing to work across party lines, a characteristic that would define his subsequent political career. His tenure in the Senate allowed him to build relationships with both Republican and Democratic colleagues in the closely divided chamber, and he gained familiarity with the full range of state policy issues, from transportation and infrastructure to economic development.

When Scott departed the Senate in January 2011 to assume the office of lieutenant governor, he was succeeded by Anthony Pollina in the Washington District seat.

Lieutenant Governor of Vermont (2011–2017)

In 2010, Scott won the election for lieutenant governor of Vermont, succeeding Brian Dubie, who had run unsuccessfully for governor that year. Scott took office on January 6, 2011, and served under Governor Peter Shumlin, a Democrat. His election as a Republican in an increasingly Democratic state demonstrated his crossover appeal and capacity to attract votes beyond partisan lines.

As lieutenant governor, Scott presided over the Vermont Senate and took on a public role that kept him visible across the state. He was reelected to the position in 2012 and 2014, consolidating his statewide political standing.

During his tenure as lieutenant governor, Scott was active in the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA), where he held leadership positions. He served on the organization's executive committee and operational committees, engaging in national policy discussions on issues including transportation, the National Guard, and support for the arts.

Scott participated in bipartisan NLGA initiatives, including letters to federal officials regarding National Guard matters and resolutions on long-term transportation policy and arts funding.

By 2015, Scott announced his candidacy for governor of Vermont, seeking to succeed the term-limited Shumlin, who later announced he would not seek reelection. Early polling indicated Scott was a formidable candidate for the office. When he left the lieutenant governor's office in January 2017, he was succeeded by David Zuckerman, a member of the Progressive Party.

Governor of Vermont (2017–present)

First Term (2017–2019)

Scott won the 2016 gubernatorial election and was inaugurated as the 82nd governor of Vermont on January 5, 2017, succeeding Democrat Peter Shumlin. Upon taking office, he faced the challenge of governing with a legislature dominated by Democrats and Progressives, a dynamic that would persist throughout his tenure and require frequent negotiation and compromise.

Scott's first term was defined in significant part by his focus on economic issues and affordability. He positioned himself as a fiscal conservative who opposed broad-based tax increases, arguing that Vermont's high cost of living and tax burden were driving residents and businesses out of the state. This emphasis on affordability became a signature theme of his administration and one he would return to repeatedly across subsequent terms.

One of the most notable actions of Scott's first term was his decision to sign gun control legislation in 2018, a move that surprised many observers given his Republican affiliation and his previous opposition to new gun restrictions. The legislation, enacted in response to a thwarted school shooting plot in Vermont, included measures such as raising the age for firearm purchases and banning high-capacity magazines. The decision drew praise from gun control advocates and criticism from some within his own party, but it underscored Scott's willingness to break with Republican orthodoxy on certain issues.

Subsequent Elections and Terms

Scott was reelected in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024, each time winning by substantial margins in a state where Democratic presidential candidates have dominated. His ability to win repeatedly in Vermont—rated D+17 by the Cook Partisan Voting Index—stands as one of the more remarkable electoral performances in contemporary American politics.

His 2024 reelection was particularly notable, as his margin of victory was the largest in any Vermont gubernatorial election since 1946. The scale of his victory reflected both his personal popularity and the difficulty Vermont Democrats faced in recruiting a competitive challenger.

Affordability Agenda

Throughout his governorship, Scott has made affordability a central policy priority. He has argued that Vermont's cost of living—driven by high property taxes, energy costs, and housing prices—poses an existential threat to the state's economic future and its ability to attract and retain working-age residents. According to reporting by The Boston Globe in February 2026, Scott was "early to the cost of living crisis," and his experience demonstrated "the benefits and limits" of making affordability a governing platform as other politicians nationwide began to adopt similar rhetoric.

Scott has frequently clashed with the Democratic-controlled legislature over budget and tax policy, vetoing bills he viewed as fiscally irresponsible or likely to increase costs for Vermont residents and businesses. These vetoes, and the legislative overrides that sometimes followed, became a recurring feature of state politics during his administration.

2026 State of the State Address

In his 2026 State of the State address, delivered to a joint session of the Vermont General Assembly, Scott continued to emphasize the themes that had defined his tenure, including economic competitiveness, fiscal discipline, and the affordability challenges facing Vermont residents.

Relations with the Federal Government

Scott's relationship with the national Republican Party and with the administration of President Donald Trump has been complex. In February 2026, ahead of the National Governors Association winter meeting in Washington, D.C., Scott initially stated he would not meet with President Trump without Democratic governors present, signaling his preference for bipartisan engagement with the White House. He subsequently attended the meeting between the nation's governors and President Trump. This episode illustrated Scott's broader approach of maintaining independence from national party politics while engaging pragmatically with federal officials.

Education and Burlington Initiatives

In 2025 and 2026, Scott's administration engaged with education policy and urban governance challenges. In October 2025, Scott announced a short-term action plan to address challenges facing the city of Burlington, the state's largest city, involving coordination between state and local officials.

In February 2026, Scott responded to the release of assessment and accountability results from the Vermont Agency of Education, signaling continued attention to the state's educational outcomes. He also exercised his appointment power, naming Jack Brigham of St. Albans Town to fill a vacant seat in the Vermont House of Representatives.

Personal Life

Phil Scott was born and raised in Barre, Vermont, and has maintained his residence in the central Vermont area throughout his life. He has two children.

Scott's involvement in stock car racing at Thunder Road International Speedbowl has been one of his most distinctive personal pursuits. He has competed at the Barre track for decades, and his racing has been a regular subject of media coverage, contributing to his image as an accessible, everyman figure in Vermont politics. The combination of his roles as governor and active race car driver has made him an unusual figure in American political life.

Scott is also a businessman with a background in the construction industry, an experience he has frequently cited in discussing economic and regulatory policy. His business career predated his entry into politics and informed his emphasis on reducing regulatory burdens and controlling the cost of doing business in Vermont.

Recognition

Scott has consistently been rated as one of the most popular governors in the United States, a distinction made all the more notable by the fact that he governs as a Republican in the most Democratic-leaning state in the nation according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index. His approval ratings have regularly exceeded those of most other governors, regardless of party.

His 2024 reelection by the largest margin in a Vermont gubernatorial contest since 1946 served as a testament to his crossover appeal. As of 2025, Scott is the second-longest serving incumbent governor in the United States, a reflection of his sustained electoral success in a state that holds gubernatorial elections every two years.

Scott's national profile has been shaped in part by his role within the National Lieutenant Governors Association during his time as lieutenant governor, and by his frequent appearances in national media discussions about the future of the Republican Party and the viability of moderate Republicanism in Democratic-leaning states.

Legacy

Phil Scott's political career represents a notable case study in bipartisan governance and moderate Republicanism in the early 21st century. His ability to win five consecutive gubernatorial elections in the most Democratic-leaning state in the country—while maintaining high approval ratings—sets him apart from most Republican officeholders of his era.

His emphasis on affordability as a governing priority anticipated a broader national conversation about the cost of living that gained momentum in the mid-2020s. As The Boston Globe reported in 2026, Scott's long experience with the affordability issue demonstrated both the possibilities and the constraints of making it a central political theme, with other politicians across the country beginning to adopt similar messaging.

Scott's willingness to break with his party on issues such as gun control, and his complicated relationship with the national Republican Party leadership, have positioned him as an example of the independent-minded, state-level Republican who prioritizes local pragmatism over national ideological alignment. His approach has drawn both admiration from those who see it as a model for bipartisan governance and criticism from those who view it as insufficiently aligned with broader party goals.

His tenure as governor has also highlighted the structural dynamics of divided government in states where one party dominates the legislature. The interplay of vetoes, overrides, and negotiations between Scott and the Democratic-Progressive legislative majority has been a defining feature of Vermont state politics during his administration.

As of February 2026, Scott continues to serve as governor, managing a range of policy challenges including education, housing, urban governance, and the state's relationship with the federal government.