2010 Vermont gubernatorial election

The 2010 Vermont gubernatorial general election took place on November 2. Vermont and New Hampshire are the only two states where the governor serves a two-year term instead of four. Primary elections took place on August 24.

Incumbent Republican governor Jim Douglas was not a candidate for re-election. Brian Dubie, the incumbent lieutenant governor, was the Republican nominee. The Democratic nomination was won by Peter Shumlin, the President pro tempore of the Vermont Senate.

The result was a 119,543 (49.5 percent) to 115,212 (47.7 percent) plurality for Shumlin. Several minor candidates got between 600 and 2,000 votes each. In accordance with the Vermont Constitution, if no candidate receives a majority, the contest is decided by the Vermont General Assembly. In such races, the combined Vermont House and Senate almost always chooses the candidate who won a plurality. Dubie indicated on November 3 that he did not intend to ask for a recount or contest the election in the legislature, and conceded to Shumlin. On January 6, 2011, with 173 of 180 members voting, 87 votes were necessary for a choice. The General Assembly elected Shumlin on the first ballot, 145–28.