Madeleine Kunin Democratic Madeleine Kunin Democratic The 1986 Vermont gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 1986.

Incumbent Democrat Madeleine Kunin ran successfully for re-election to a second term as Governor of Vermont, defeating Republican candidate Peter Plympton Smith and independent candidate Bernie Sanders.

Since no candidate won a majority of the popular vote, Kunin was elected by the Vermont General Assembly per the state constitution.

[1] This was the first time since 1912 that none of the candidates received a majority of the vote.

After no candidate received a majority of the vote, the Vermont Legislature, consisting of 150 representatives and 30 senators, voted to decide the winner, per the state constitution.