In 2026, 20% of the state legislative incumbents running for election in Vermont will face primary contests, a record high since 2010.
In total, 28 incumbents face contested primaries across the Vermont House and Senate. The average number of incumbents contested each year from 2010 to 2024 was 18. All but one of the contested incumbents are Democrats.
Democrats have a 16-13-1 majority in the Senate and an 87-56-7 majority in the House. Vermont has had a divided government since Gov. Phil Scott (R) assumed office in 2017.
