The Vermont Republic gubernatorial election of 1789 took place in September.[1] Though incumbent Governor Thomas Chittenden won a plurality of the popular vote over his main competitor, Vermont Supreme Court Chief Justice Moses Robinson, the Vermont Constitution required that the legislature choose if no candidate won a majority.[1]
For the first time since the founding of the Vermont Republic in 1778, Chittenden found himself in political difficulty.[2] Shortly before the election, he had granted Ira Allen title to the town of Woodbridge (now Highgate) but had neglected to first obtain the approval of the governor's council.[2] Chittenden was accused of malfeasance for supposedly favoring a clique led by the Allen family with respect to land grants.[2]
As a result of the controversy, On October 9, the legislature chose Robinson, the first time Chittenden had not been elected governor.[1][2] Robinson served a one-year term, but the controversy over the Woodbridge land grant abated, and Chittenden was returned to office in 1790.[2]
