The Vermont Senate is the

upper house An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house.''Bicameralism'' (1997) by George Tsebelis The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restric ...

of the

Vermont General Assembly The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the state of Vermont, in the United States. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself. The ...

, the

state legislature A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...

of the U.S. state of

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...

. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-member districts, three three-member districts, and one six-member district. Each senator represents at least 20,300 citizens. Senators are elected to two-year terms and there is no limit to the number of terms that a senator may serve. As in other

s of state and territorial legislatures and the U.S. Senate, the state senate of Vermont has special functions, such as confirming or rejecting

gubernatorial A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of politica ...

appointments to executive departments, the state

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...

, commissions, and boards, as well as electing members to the

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The Cou ...

. The Vermont Senate meets at the Vermont State House in the state capital of Montpelier.

Districting and terms

Senators are elected from a total of 13 single and multi-member senate districts. The districts largely correspond to the boundaries of the state's 14 counties with adjustments to ensure equality of representation. Two small counties (

Essex Essex () is a Ceremonial counties of England, county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the Riv ...

and Orleans) are combined into one district. Each district elects between 1 and 6 senators at-large depending on population. Vermont is the only state to have any senate districts represented by more than two senators each, as well as the only state to employ bloc voting for senate elections. Vermont is one of the 14 states where the

of its

serves at a two-year cycle, rather than the more common four-year term in the majority of states.

Leadership

The Lieutenant Governor of Vermont serves as the

President of the Senate President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate. It corresponds to the speaker in some other assemblies. The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's succession for its top executive office: for ex ...

, but casts a vote only if required to break a tie. In his or her absence, the President ''pro tempore'' presides over the Senate. The President ''pro tempore'' is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation from the entire body through a Senate Resolution, and is the Senate's chief leadership position. The

majority A majority, also called a simple majority or absolute majority to distinguish it from related terms, is more than half of the total.Dictionary definitions of ''majority'' aMerriam-Websterminority leaders are elected by their respective party caucuses. Committee assignments are determined by the Committee on Committees. This panel consists of the Lieutenant Governor, the President ''pro tempore'' and one member chosen by the full Senate. For several years the third member of the committee has been Richard Mazza.

Composition of the Senate (2021–2023 legislative session)

Current leadership

Current members

Operations

The full Senate meets Tuesday and Friday mornings only for the first seven weeks of the annual session. The Vermont Senate is aided by an administrative staff, including the Secretary of the Vermont Senate and several assistants. Since 2011, the Senate Secretary has been John H. Bloomer, a former member of the Senate. Previous secretaries include Ernest W. Gibson Jr., Murdock A. Campbell, and Franklin S. Billings Jr.

History

Vermont had a unicameral legislature until 1836; most of the functions normally performed by an upper legislative house were the responsibility of the

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

and

council A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nati ...

. The state abolished the governor's council and added a senate by constitutional amendment. The longest-serving member of the Vermont Senate was William T. Doyle; he was elected in 1968, reelected every two years until 2014, and defeated for reelection in 2016. Doyle served from January 1969 to January 2017; no other legislator in Vermont history—member of the Vermont House, member of the Vermont Senate, or member of both the House and Senate—has served longer than Doyle.

Notable members

Most individuals who have served as governor or lieutenant governor had experience in the Vermont legislature; many served in the State Senate. For more than 100 years from the 1850s to the 1960s, the Vermont Republican Party won every election for statewide office. In keeping with the "Mountain Rule", which was created to ensure party unity, governors and lieutenant governors were from opposite sides of the

Green Mountains The Green Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Vermont. The range runs primarily south to north and extends approximately from the border with Massachusetts to the border with Quebec, Canada. The part of the same range that is i ...

, and were limited to two years in office. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor were agreed upon by party leaders years in advance, and were often chosen for leadership positions in the House or Senate to groom them for statewide office.

Governors

Governors who served in the Vermont Senate include:

William A. Palmer William Adams Palmer (September 12, 1781December 3, 1860) was an American lawyer and politician. A prominent of the Anti-Masonic Party in the 1830s, he was most notable for his service as a US Senator from Vermont (1818–1825) and the 13th gover ...

(post-governorship);

Horace Eaton Horace Eaton (June 22, 1804 – July 4, 1855) was an American Whig politician, a medical doctor, the 14th lieutenant governor of Vermont, and the 18th governor of Vermont. Biography Eaton was born in Barnard, Vermont, on June 22, 1804. He gra ...

; Carlos Coolidge (post-governorship); John S. Robinson; Ryland Fletcher;

Frederick Holbrook Frederick Holbrook (February 15, 1813 – April 28, 1909) was an American farmer, businessman, and Governor of the State of Vermont. Active in politics and government, first as a Whig, and later as a Republican, he was most notable for his ser ...

; Paul Dillingham; George Whitman Hendee;

John Wolcott Stewart John Wolcott Stewart (November 24, 1825October 29, 1915) was an American lawyer and politician from Vermont. He served as Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives and as the 33rd governor of Vermont before serving in the United States Ho ...

; Julius Converse;

Horace Fairbanks Horace Fairbanks (March 21, 1820 – March 17, 1888) was an American politician and the 36th governor of Vermont from 1876 to 1878. Biography Fairbanks was born in Barnet, Vermont, on March 21, 1820, the third of nine children of Erastus Fairb ...

; Redfield Proctor; Roswell Farnham; John L. Barstow;

Ebenezer J. Ormsbee Ebenezer Jolls Ormsbee (June 8, 1834 – April 3, 1924), the 41st governor of Vermont, was a Republican Party politician, a teacher, a lawyer and an American Civil War veteran. Early life Ormsbee was born in Shoreham, Vermont, the son of J ...

;

William P. Dillingham William Paul Dillingham (December 12, 1843July 12, 1923) was an American attorney and politician from the state of Vermont. A Republican and the son of Congressman and Governor Paul Dillingham, William P. Dillingham served as governor from 1888 ...

;

Carroll S. Page Carroll Smalley Page (January 10, 1843December 3, 1925) was an American businessman and politician. He served as the 43rd governor of Vermont and a United States senator. A native of Westfield, Vermont, Page was the son of a successful farme ...

; Levi K. Fuller;

Josiah Grout Josiah Grout Jr. (May 28, 1841July 19, 1925) was an American lawyer and politician in the US state of Vermont. Born in the British Canadian Province of Lower Canada to Vermonter parents, he served in the American Civil War as a Union Army offi ...

;

John G. McCullough John Griffith McCullough (September 16, 1835 – May 29, 1915) was an American state legislator, businessperson and attorney. He served as Attorney General of California during the Civil War, and the 49th governor of Vermont from 1902 to 1904. ...

; Charles J. Bell; Fletcher D. Proctor;

George H. Prouty George Herbert Prouty (March 4, 1862August 18, 1918) of Newport, Vermont, was a Republican member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1896 to 1897; a member of Vermont State Senate from 1904 to 1906; the 46th lieutenant governor of V ...

; John A. Mead; Allen M. Fletcher;

Charles W. Gates Charles Winslow Gates (January 12, 1856 in Franklin, Vermont – July 1, 1927) was an American politician who served as the 55th governor of Vermont from 1915 to 1917. Biography Gates was born January 12, 1856, son of Harrison and Leona Rebec ...

;

Percival W. Clement Percival Wood Clement (July 7, 1846January 9, 1927) was an American politician who served as the List of Governors of Vermont, 57th governor of Vermont from 1919 to 1921. Biography Clement was born on July 7, 1846, in Rutland (town), Vermont, R ...

; Redfield Proctor Jr.;

John E. Weeks John Eliakim Weeks (June 14, 1853 – September 10, 1949) was an American politician from Vermont. He served as the List of Governors of Vermont, 61st governor of Vermont from 1927 to 1931. Early life Weeks was born in Salisbury, Vermont, on Jun ...

; Stanley C. Wilson; Charles Manley Smith; William H. Wills; Mortimer R. Proctor; Lee E. Emerson; Joseph B. Johnson;

Philip H. Hoff Philip Henderson Hoff (June 29, 1924 – April 26, 2018) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Vermont. He was most notable for his service as the 73rd governor of Vermont from 1963 to 1969, the state's first Democratic governor si ...

(post-governorship);

Peter Shumlin Peter Elliott Shumlin (born March 24, 1956) is an American politician from Vermont. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the List of governors of Vermont, 81st governor of Vermont from 2011 to 2017. He ...

; and Phil Scott (incumbent).

Members of Congress

Many of Vermont's members of the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

and

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

also served in the Vermont Senate. U.S. Senators include

Samuel S. Phelps Samuel Shethar Phelps (May 13, 1793March 25, 1855) was an American lawyer and politician. He was a United States senator from Vermont, and a member of the Whig Party. Biography Phelps was born in Litchfield, Connecticut, to John Phelps (1756� ...

, George F. Edmunds,

Jonathan Ross Jonathan Stephen Ross (born 17 November 1960) is an English broadcaster, film critic, comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He presented the BBC One chat show ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' during the 2000s, hosted his own radio show on ...

Porter H. Dale Porter Hinman Dale (March 1, 1867October 6, 1933) was a member of both the United States House of Representatives and later the United States Senate from Vermont. Early life and career The son of Lieutenant Governor George N. Dale and Helen (Hi ...

, Frank C. Partridge,

Ernest Willard Gibson Ernest Willard Gibson (December 29, 1872June 20, 1940) was an American politician and lawyer from Vermont. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, he served in both the United States House of Representatives (1923-1933) and United Stat ...

and

Jim Jeffords James Merrill Jeffords (May 11, 1934 – August 18, 2014) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. senator from Vermont. Sworn into the Senate in 1989, he served as a Republican until 2001, when he left the party to become ...

. U.S. House members who served in the Vermont Senate include William Henry, Ahiman Louis Miner,

George Tisdale Hodges George Tisdale Hodges (July 4, 1789August 9, 1860) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Vermont. He was the first Republican member of the United States House of Representatives,although there was a similar Opposi ...

, Frederick E. Woodbridge, H. Henry Powers, David J. Foster,

William Hebard William Hebard (November 29, 1800October 20, 1875) was an American attorney and politician from Vermont. He served in several elected offices, and was most notable for representing Vermont in the United States House of Representatives for two te ...

, Andrew Tracy, William W. Grout, Kittredge Haskins, Frank Plumley,

Alvah Sabin Alvah Sabin (October 23, 1793 – January 22, 1885) was an American politician and clergyman. He served as a United States representative from Vermont. Biography Sabin was born in Georgia, Vermont, to Benjamin Sabin and Polly McMaster Sabin, and ...

, Homer Elihu Royce,

Worthington Curtis Smith Worthington Curtis Smith (April 23, 1823 – January 2, 1894) was an American politician and railroad president. He served as a U.S. Representative from Vermont, and was the son of John Smith, of Vermont, a U.S. Representative from Vermont. E ...

, Bradley Barlow, Augustus Young, Richard W. Mallary, Peter Plympton Smith and Peter Welch (incumbent).

Other notable members

Other notable members of the Vermont Senate include: * Jefferson P. Kidder (1847–1849): U.S. Congressman from

Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of N ...

; Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Dakota Territory. * Lucius E. Chittenden (1856–1860): author and government official. * Daniel Kellogg (1865–1866): Adjutant general of the Vermont Militia. * Hoyt Henry Wheeler (1868–1869): judge of the United States District Court for the District of Vermont. * William H. Gilmore (1882–1883): Adjutant general of the Vermont Militia. * William Wells (1886–1887): recipient of the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

. * Edna Beard (1923–1925): Vermont's first female state House member (1921 to 1923) and first female state senator; also the first woman to hold a leadership position in the Vermont legislature as Chair of the Senate Committee on Libraries. * Consuelo N. Bailey (1930–1931): Lieutenant Governor of Vermont from 1955 to 1957; first woman in the United States to be a lieutenant governor. * James L. Oakes (1961–1965): judge of the

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (in case citations, 2d Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. Its territory comprises the states of Connecticut, New York and Vermont. The court has appellate ju ...

. * David Zuckerman (born 1971): Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, 2017-2021. *

Becca Balint Rebecca A. "Becca" Balint (born May 4, 1968) is an American politician who is a member of the United States House of Representatives from Vermont's at-large congressional district as a member of the Democratic Party. She served as a member of ...

(2015–present): first openly gay woman to serve in the Vermont Senate and first openly gay woman to hold a legislative leadership position as Senate Majority Leader.

References

External links

Vermont General AssemblyProject Vote Smart - State Senate of Vermont

Senate Map and Statistics 2012 Reapportionment
{{Authority control Politics of Vermont State upper houses in the United States