Governor of Vermont
Amanda Janoo
EconomistDProgressive
- Race
- Governor of Vermont
- Election
- 2026-11-03
- Opponents
- Phil Scott (R); June Goodband (Peace and Justice); Brian Judd (Independent); Dean Roy (Freedom and Unity)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did2 statements · 0 votes
This plan will be funded through our Fair Share Tax Proposal, which asks the wealthiest Vermonters to contribute the equivalent cuts from the Big Beautiful Bill.
Raise taxes on high earners or corporations
Compare statements with votes ›On the ballotGovernor
2026-11-03
| Phil Scott R | incumbent |
| Amanda Janoo DProgressive | challenger |
| June Goodband Peace and Justice | challenger |
| Brian Judd Independent | challenger |
| Dean Roy Freedom and Unity | challenger |
Won the August 2026 Democratic primary; also the Progressive Party candidate.
Said vs. did
Each documented position next to the recorded floor votes we map to the same issue. Votes are compared one at a time; no overall stance is inferred from them.
This plan will be funded through our Fair Share Tax Proposal, which asks the wealthiest Vermonters to contribute the equivalent cuts from the Big Beautiful Bill.
Proposes a 2% surcharge on personal income over $250,000 and an 8% surcharge over $500,000, a higher tax rate on certain housing she calls extractive (including luxury second homes, commercial vacation rentals and vacant investment properties), and a tax on large tech companies' digital advertising revenue.[4][5]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Guarantee free primary and preventive healthcare for every Vermonter by eliminating copays, deductibles, and insurance barriers, making primary care the front door to a future universal healthcare system.
Would use surcharge revenue to fund free primary and preventive care for all Vermonters.[4][5][6]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Biography
Amanda Janoo is the Democratic nominee for governor, an economist and first-time candidate who has worked in economic development for the United Nations and with the Wellbeing Economy Alliance. She proposes higher taxes on top earners, second homes and large tech companies' digital advertising revenue; she says the income surcharge would fund free primary and preventive health care and second-home revenue would reduce property taxes.[1][2][3]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Amanda Janoo was born on a farm in rural Vermont and raised in South Strafford; according to her campaign, her father immigrated from Malaysia and worked as a civil engineer.[7] She received a bachelor's degree in political science and global political economy from Macalester College in 2010 and a master of philosophy from the University of Cambridge in 2013.[8][7] Her campaign says she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for research with India's Self-Employed Women's Association and a Family Economic Security Fellowship with New America.[7]
Janoo began her career working with the United Nations and international development organizations as an industrial policy and structural transformation specialist.[7][8] She is now economics and policy lead for the Wellbeing Economy Alliance, a global network, and according to her campaign has advised governments including Scotland, Wales, Finland, New Zealand and Canada.[7][8] In Vermont she co-founded the Wellbeing Economy Alliance of Vermont and has served on the boards of the ACLU of Vermont and Rights & Democracy Vermont.[7]
Janoo rents an apartment in Burlington, which her campaign says is because she has been priced out of buying a home in the community where she grew up.[7] She won the Democratic nomination for governor in August 2026.[2]
In their own words
Priorities
Statements, quoted without a stance
- Loosen zoning rules to build more housing
“Support locally driven housing solutions by simplifying permitting for permanently affordable housing, adaptive reuse projects, accessory dwelling units, and small-scale infill while preserving strong environmental protections and giving towns greater flexibility to meet local housing needs.”[5]
On her campaign website platform page
- Universal, publicly funded child care
“Create childcare and early-learning hubs in underused school space by helping schools partner with local childcare providers.”[5]
On her campaign website platform page, community schools section
Campaign moneyNo FEC filing summary matched — state candidates file with their state, not the FEC.
Profile: /people/amanda-janoo
Compare all 5 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.Campaign Countdown: Candidates for Vermont governor · WCAX · 2026-09-17 News report
- 2.2026 Vermont gubernatorial election · Wikipedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
- 3.Vermont governor's race will test voters' appetite for raising new taxes — or cutting them · VTDigger · 2026-10-07 News report
- 4.Vermont governor's race will test voters' appetite for raising new taxes — or cutting them · VTDigger · 2026-10-07 News report
- 5.Platform · Amanda Janoo for Governor campaign website · 2026-10-19 Candidate's own words
- 6.Universal primary care is at the center of the race for governor. How would it work? · VTDigger · 2026-10-08 News report
- 7.About - Amanda Janoo for Governor of Vermont · Amanda Janoo for Governor of Vermont Candidate's own words
- 8.Amanda Janoo · Ballotpedia Reference
- 9.Campaign Countdown: Candidates for Vermont governor · WCAX · 2026-09-17 News report