Vermont Governor Voter Guide: Scott, Janoo, Goodband, Judd and Roy on Taxes and Health Care
Five candidates are on the Nov. 3 ballot for governor of Vermont, according to the Vermont Secretary of State's 2026 voter guide: Republican Gov. Phil Scott of Berlin, who is seeking a sixth two-year term; Democrat/Progressive Amanda Janoo of Burlington, an economist; June Goodband of Springfield, the Peace and Justice Party nominee and a licensed clinical mental health counselor; independent Brian Judd of Barre City; and Dean Roy of Stowe, the Freedom and Unity Party nominee. The Digital Free Press voter guide video compares where they stand on taxes and health care.
Scott has been governor since 2017. Vermont elects its governor every two years and has no term limits. Janoo, running in her first campaign, won both the Democratic and Progressive nominations and outraised Scott in September, VTDigger reported.
Why Taxes and Health Care Are Issues
Property taxes, which pay for Vermont's schools, and the cost of health insurance were central to the first debate between Scott and Janoo in October, according to VTDigger. Scott's education overhaul is aimed at lowering property taxes, and his health care proposals and Janoo's free primary care plan were among the sharpest contrasts on stage.
The race is rated as leaning toward Scott but competitive. The Cook Political Report rated it Likely Republican in its Oct. 27 governor ratings. Inside Elections lists it as Likely Republican (Oct. 15) and Sabato's Crystal Ball as Lean Republican (Oct. 27), according to Wikipedia's summary of the ratings.
Public polls have been close. A University of New Hampshire poll taken Sept. 17-21 had Janoo at 49 percent and Scott at 43 percent among likely voters. A Braun Research poll for Vermont Public, taken Sept. 10-21, had Scott at 44 percent and Janoo at 34 percent, with Judd at 2 percent, Roy at 1 percent and Goodband under 1 percent. State Navigate's Oct. 23-25 poll of 1,752 likely voters had Scott at 48 percent and Janoo at 46 percent, within its 2.3-point margin of error. VTDigger called a late-September poll "the tightest race in a decade."
On taxes, the TDFP video says Goodband "would raise taxes on high incomes and homes left vacant for much of the year." It says Janoo "would lower resident property taxes while taxing private equity, vacation rentals, and luxury estates more." Judd "would stop tax increases, lower taxes, and return taxpayer money," the video says, and Roy "supports wealth taxes." It says Scott believes "education reforms should provide meaningful, lasting property tax relief."
On health care, the video says Goodband "would fully implement Vermont's universal health care law and remove insurance companies from the system." It says Janoo "would guarantee free, universal primary and preventive care, with no copays or deductibles," Judd "would bring back long-term state psychiatric hospitals," and Roy "supports a public option and eventually moving toward universal health care." It says Scott "would use reforms available under Obamacare to lower costs, expand choice, and protect access."
Phil Scott (Republican, Incumbent)
Scott, a former longtime co-owner of a family construction business, served as a state senator and lieutenant governor before he was elected governor in 2016. He led the state through the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2023 and 2024 floods, VTDigger reported. He has broken with President Trump on some issues, including calling in January for a "pause" of federal immigration enforcement operations, a statement the Vermont House backed 106-25.
On taxes, Scott told the Seven Days voter guide that Vermont's school system "costs too much without delivering enough for every student," and that the state must "implement structural reforms, and provide meaningful, lasting property tax relief." In the October debate, he said, "We need to do everything we can to reduce the tax burden," and said he would propose tax cuts or credits aimed at lower- and middle-income Vermonters and did not think Social Security should be taxed, VTDigger reported. In his Secretary of State candidate statement, he said the next two years must focus on lowering the cost of housing and health care "while putting the brakes on increased taxes and fees."
On health care, Scott told Seven Days: "We need to adopt mainstream reforms made available by Obamacare that many other states use to lower health care costs, expand choices and protect access." He said the legislature "built a system intended for a single-payer experiment that was abandoned as unaffordable." He has been skeptical of universal primary care, saying in the debate, "When you promote free healthcare, it's hard to say no. But, there's nothing free in this world," according to VTDigger. He has pointed to his executive order allowing association health plans as a way to lower premiums.
Amanda Janoo (Democrat/Progressive)
Janoo is an economist and government consultant from Burlington running in her first campaign. In her Secretary of State candidate statement, she said she has "spent my career building economies that work for people and the planet."
On taxes, Janoo's statement calls for "reducing property taxes and investing in permanently affordable housing by taxing private equity, second homes/vacation rentals and luxury estates." She told Seven Days that Vermont should "modernize property taxes so resident homeowners pay less while corporate and private-equity owners, vacation rentals, and investment properties pay more." She told NBC5 that the state should "move away from trickle-down economics to really bottom-up prosperity," and has said the top 10 percent of earners "are really benefiting most from the stock market and economic growth."
On health care, Janoo told Seven Days: "I will work hard to guarantee free, universal primary and preventive care for every Vermonter, with no co-pays or deductibles." Her candidate statement says the plan would be "funded by taxing the 1% and bringing back small-town doctors." In the debate, she proposed paying for it with surcharges on income over $250,000 and said "a profit-oriented healthcare system is just a bad idea," VTDigger reported. VTDigger noted she did not say what she would do if that revenue fell short; she suggested piloting publicly funded doctors in some towns.
June Goodband (Peace and Justice)
Goodband, of Springfield, is a licensed clinical mental health counselor and ran for governor in 2024. Her candidate statement says she would work with the legislature to "block Data Centers, mandate a livable wage, and create meaningful jobs."
On taxes, Goodband's campaign site calls for using "progressive taxation instead of homestead taxes to pay for education" and says the state should "increase taxes on high incomes and buildings that could be used for housing but are left vacant for most of the year." She told Seven Days the state should "put high taxes on homes that are left vacant for large portions of the year."
On health care, Goodband told Seven Days: "We can cut health care costs by fully implementing our universal health care law, cutting out insurance companies and creating a coordinated health care system that meets our needs." She has also proposed taking health insurance costs out of the education budget by implementing that law.
Brian Judd (Independent)
Judd was born and raised in Barre City and is a Navy veteran who served from 1978 to 1983, the Vermont Daily Chronicle reported. He is running as an independent.
On taxes, Judd's Secretary of State candidate statement says that as governor, working with the legislature, he would "STOP RAISING TAXES," "LOWER TAXES" and "RETURN TAX PAYER MONEY TO THE TAX PAYER." He has said his first executive order would seek the "complete and total repeal" of Act 181, Vermont's 2024 land-use and housing law.
On health care, Judd's statement says his second executive order would "END HOMELESSNESS BY BRINGING BACK VERMONT STATE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS." The Vermont Daily Chronicle reported that he did not provide details about how the facilities would be established, funded or operated. His third proposed order would call for audits of state government and of nonprofit organizations.
Dean Roy (Freedom and Unity)
Roy, of Stowe, is a high school student and a former legislative page, according to Wikipedia's page on the race. His candidate statement promises "no new restrictions on personal freedom."
On taxes, Roy's statement says: "I support taxing short term rentals and wealthy Vermonters to lower taxes on the middle and lower class." It also says he supports "a wealth tax and $1 billion net worth cap to reduce inequality." He opposes what he calls "Phil Scott's EV mandate" and supports scrapping Act 250 to reduce housing costs.
On health care, Roy's statement says: "I support auditing Vermont's healthcare system, creating a public option, and eventually moving toward universal healthcare."
Where to Follow the Candidates
Phil Scott: @PhilScott4VT (campaign) and @GovPhilScott (official) on X; philscott.org. Amanda Janoo: @janooforvt on Instagram; janooforvt.com. June Goodband: june4govvt.org. Brian Judd: no campaign website listed with the Secretary of State. Dean Roy: @deanroy_forgovernor on TikTok and Instagram.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. This guide is for information only; The Digital Free Press does not endorse any candidate.
Yossi Schmidt, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Digital Free Press
Hold Everyone Accountable.
Sources: Vermont Secretary of State, "Your 2026 Vermont Voter Guide": https://outside.vermont.gov/dept/sos/Elections_Division/voters/voter_guide/117121.pdf ; Seven Days, "Q&A: 2026 Candidates for Vermont Governor" (Oct. 13, 2026): https://www.sevendaysvt.com/guides/electionvoterguide/candidates-vermont-governor-2026/ ; VTDigger, "5 takeaways from Phil Scott and Amanda Janoo's first debate of the campaign" (Oct. 22, 2026): https://vtdigger.org/2026/10/22/5-takeaways-from-phil-scott-and-amanda-janoos-first-debate-of-the-campaign/ ; VTDigger, "Vermont House backs Gov. Phil Scott's call for pause of Trump's immigration crackdown" (Jan. 30, 2026): https://vtdigger.org/2026/01/30/vermont-house-backs-gov-phil-scotts-call-for-pause-of-trumps-immigration-crackdown/ ; VTDigger, latest poll (Sept. 25, 2026): https://vtdigger.org/2026/09/25/latest-poll-shows-gov-phil-scott-and-amanda-janoo-in-tightest-race-in-a-decade/ ; NBC5, Vermont gubernatorial candidates on affordability: https://www.mynbc5.com/article/vermont-gubernatorial-candidates-affordability/73877832 ; June Goodband campaign: https://june4govvt.org ; Vermont Daily Chronicle, "Barre independent running for governor" (Aug. 24, 2026): https://vermontdailychronicle.com/barre-independent-running-for-governor/ ; Cook Political Report, governor race ratings: https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/governor-race-ratings ; Wikipedia, 2026 Vermont gubernatorial election: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Vermont_gubernatorial_election
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