Shumlin, Peter, 1956-

Peter Elliott Shumlin (born March 24, 1956) is an American businessman and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served three terms as the 81st Governor of Vermont from 2011 to 2017.

Born in Brattleboro, Vermont and raised in Putney, Vermont, Shumlin went to high school at Buxton School in Williamstown, Massachusetts before earning a B.A. from Wesleyan University in 1979. Returning to Putney, Shumlin took over Putney Student Travel, the business that his parents created. Shumlin served on Selectboard for the town of Putney in the 1980s and helped found Landmark College, which was created to help people with learning disabilities gain a college education. Shumlin was appointed by Governor Madeleine M. Kunin to fill a vacancy in the Vermont House of Representatives. He served part of one term plus one full term, and represented Putney from 1990 through 1993.

In 1992, he was elected to the Vermont Senate, and he soon became Minority Leader. In the 1996 elections, Shumlin led his Senate Democrats to win back control of the chamber after four years in the minority, and in 1997 he became Senate President Pro Tempore. In 2002, Shumlin won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, losing in the general election. From 2003 to 2006, Shumlin returned to the Shumlin family business. In 2006, Shumlin ran successfully for his old seat in the State Senate upon the retirement of Rod Gander, who served from 2003 to 2007. Upon his return, Shumlin was once again elected President Pro Tempore.

In 2009, Shumlin announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Vermont; placing first in ther primary, he went on to receive the most votes in the general election but not an outright majority as required by Vermont law. On January 6, 2011, the General Assembly elected Shumlin by 145 votes to 28 for Republican Brian Dubie. In his three terms, Shumlin advocated for single-payer health care, signed a bill banning hydraulic fracturing, and attempted to combat the rise in opiate addiction in Vermont. On June 8, 2015, Shumlin announced he would not seek a fourth term in 2016. After leaving office, Shumlin served as a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics in the Spring of 2017.