John Rodgers is congratulated after being elected lieutenant governor by a joint vote of the House and Senate at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Thursday, Jan. 9. Rodgers won the most votes in the November election but not a majority of the ballots cast. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerMONTPELIER — John Rodgers, a Glover Republican, was formally elected Vermont’s next lieutenant governor on Thursday as a vast majority of state legislators voted to affirm his upset win in last fall’s race over Progressive/Democrat David Zuckerman.Thursday’s 158-18 vote was necessary because while Rodgers won more votes than Zuckerman — who was the incumbent — in November, neither tallied more than 50% of the total, triggering a process whereby the Legislature had to crown the winner.The result means that, for the first time in 14 years, the governor and lieutenant governor of the state will hail from the same party. The last pair were also Republicans: Gov. Jim Douglas and Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, who both left office in January 2011. READ MORE David Zuckerman concedes lieutenant governor’s race to John Rodgers — but with a caveat by Paul Heintz and Shaun Robinson November 7, 2024, 10:40 amNovember 8, 2024, 8:12 am Members of both the House and Senate cast ballots in a joint assembly around 10:30 a.m. Thursday for either candidate, with newly-reelected Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth presiding. Lawmakers could also have voted for a third candidate — Ian Diamondstone of the Green Mountain Peace & Justice Party — though none did.The vote was by secret ballot, though, so members’ individual decisions were not clear. Rodgers, who was seated in the back of the House chamber while the vote took place alongside his family, stood up and waved while legislators applauded after Baruth announced his win. “I expected the Legislature to go with the will of Vermonters, and I’m looking forward to getting to work,” Rodgers said in a brief interview after the vote. John Rodgers brings trays of snacks into the lieutenant governor’s office at the Statehouse. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThere was little, if any, doubt on Thursday that lawmakers would affirm Rodgers’ win. Zuckerman told reporters last week that he had not been in contact with any legislators about the race since the days immediately following the election. At the time, though, Zuckerman drew criticism from some state political leaders after he nodded at the possibility that the Legislature could overturn the election result — and suggested it had good reason to do so.Before they elected Rodgers on Thursday, legislators also certified the election of five other statewide officials — none of whose races needed to be decided in a special vote. Those are Republican Gov. Phil Scott, Democratic Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas, Democratic State Treasurer Mike Pieciak, Democratic State Attorney General Charity Clark and Democratic/Progressive State Auditor Doug Hoffer.Read the story on VTDigger here: Republican John Rodgers formally elected Vermont’s next lieutenant governor.