2024 Burlington, Vermont, mayoral election explained

Election Name:2024 Burlington mayoral election
Country:Vermont
Flag Image:Flag of Burlington, Vermont.svg
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2021 Burlington mayoral election
Previous Year:2021
Next Election:2027 Burlington mayoral election
Next Year:2027
Election Date:March 5, 2024
Image1:Emma Mulvaney-Stanak at Education Funding Policy Discussion (cropped).jpg
Nominee1:Emma Mulvaney-Stanak
Party1:Progressive Party (Vermont)
Popular Vote1:7,612
Percentage1:51.4%
Nominee2:Joan Shannon
Party2:Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:6,696
Percentage2:45.2%
Map Size:200px
Mayor
Before Election:Miro Weinberger
Before Party:Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:Emma Mulvaney-Stanak
After Party:Progressive Party (Vermont)

The 2024 Burlington mayoral election was held on March 5, 2024. It elected the mayor of Burlington, Vermont. Incumbent Democratic mayor Miro Weinberger declined to seek re-election.

City councilor Joan Shannon defeated CD Mattison and Karen Paul for the Democratic nomination. The Vermont Progressive Party nominated state representative Emma Mulvaney-Stanak.

In the general election, Mulvaney-Stanak prevailed, defeating Shannon and two independent candidates. Mulvaney-Stanak became Burlington's first female and first openly LGBT mayor, as well as being the first Progressive to serve as mayor of Burlington since Bob Kiss left office in 2012.[1]

Background

Miro Weinberger's victory in the 2012 mayoral election made him the first Democrat to serve as Burlington's mayor since Gordon Paquette lost re-election to Bernie Sanders in the 1981 election.[2] Weinberger was re-elected in 2015, 2018, and 2021. Weinberger is the longest serving consecutive mayor in Burlington history and second-longest serving overall after Peter Clavelle.

The Democrats won a majority on the city council in the 2023 elections; previously, the Progressive Party held a plurality of seats on the council.[3]

This will be the first Burlington mayoral election to use ranked-choice voting since the 2009 mayoral election. Voters approved a referendum to re-adopt the system for mayoral races in the 2023 election, despite opposition from Weinberger.[4] Kurt Wright, the last Republican to serve on the Burlington city council and a former mayoral candidate, argued that the use of ranked-choice voting would help Republicans, as it meant a Republican could run for mayor and not "drain votes away from another candidate."

Democratic caucus

On September 28, 2023, Weinberger announced that he would not seek reelection.[5] The Democratic caucus was held on December 10.

Nominee

Eliminated at caucus

Declined

Results

Progressive caucus

The Progressive caucus was held on December 7, 2023.

Nominee

Declined

Endorsements

Republican caucus

The Republican caucus was held on December 19, 2023.[12] No candidate was nominated for the mayoral race.

Declined

Independents

Declared

General election

Endorsements

Endorsements in bold were made after the caucuses.

Fundraising

Shannon raised $132,124 from 651 donors, spending around $60,000. Donors to her campaign include former Vermont Governor Howard Dean and former state Attorney General T.J. Donovan. Mulvaney-Stanak raised $67,052 from 514 donors, spending roughly $35,000. Donors included state Attorney General Charity Clark, city councilor Zoraya Hightower, and former city councilors Vince Brennan and Max Tracy.[14]

Results

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: . Mulvaney-Stanak wins Burlington mayor's race . March 5, 2024 . March 5, 2024.
  2. News: November 27, 2020 . Burlington Dems to 'play defense' in 2021 races, only one council seat is contested . . Elletson . Grace . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220522223408/https://vtdigger.org/2020/11/27/burlington-dems-to-play-defense-in-2021-races-only-one-council-seat-is-contested/ . May 22, 2022.
  3. News: March 7, 2023 . Lamdin . Courtney . Burlington Dems Cruise to Victory on Town Meeting Day . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230930231634/https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/burlington-dems-cruise-to-victory-on-town-meeting-day/Content?oid=37740144 . September 30, 2023.
  4. News: May 29, 2023 . Lamdin . Courtney . Scott Vetoes Noncitizen Voting in Burlington, Allows Ranked-Choice Voting to Become Law . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231001043937/https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/scott-vetoes-noncitizen-voting-in-burlington-allows-ranked-choice-voting-to-become-law/Content?oid=38332783 . October 1, 2023.
  5. News: September 28, 2023 . Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger Won't Seek Reelection . Lamdin . Courtney . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240116175757/https://www.sevendaysvt.com/news/burlington-mayor-miro-weinberger-wont-seek-reelection-39199336 . January 16, 2024.
  6. News: November 13, 2023 . Crowley . Patrick . CD Mattison latest to join Burlington mayor's race . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240116175916/https://vtdigger.org/2023/11/13/cd-mattison-latest-to-join-burlington-mayors-race/ . January 16, 2024.
  7. News: October 24, 2023 . Cusanelli . Michael . Burlington City Council President Karen Paul announces run for mayor . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240116180125/https://www.mynbc5.com/article/burlington-karen-paul-mayor/45630548 . January 16, 2024 . January 16, 2024 . live .
  8. News: December 4, 2023 . Lamdin . Courtney . Emma Mulvaney-Stanak Is the Prog's Pick for Burlington Mayor . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240116181143/https://www.sevendaysvt.com/news/emma-mulvaney-stanak-is-the-progs-pick-for-burlington-mayor-39661714 . January 16, 2024.
  9. News: November 9, 2023 . Crowley . Patrick . Election season begins for Burlington City Council with two Progressive incumbents opting out . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240116181352/https://vtdigger.org/2023/11/09/election-season-begins-for-burlington-city-council-with-two-progressive-incumbents-opting-out/ . January 16, 2024.
  10. News: September 29, 2023 . Crowley . Patrick . Burlington has never had a woman as mayor. Will that change in 2024? . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230930232406/https://vtdigger.org/2023/09/29/burlington-has-never-had-a-woman-as-mayor-will-that-change-in-2024/ . September 30, 2023.
  11. News: October 4, 2023 . There Are Plenty of Potential Successors to Outgoing Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger . Lamdin . Courtney . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231005224759/https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/there-are-plenty-of-potential-successors-to-outgoing-burlington-mayor-miro-weinberger/Content?oid=39236451 . October 5, 2023.
  12. News: January 4, 2023 . Lamdin . Courtney . Joan Shannon Wins Democratic Nomination in Burlington Mayor's Race . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240116181604/https://www.sevendaysvt.com/news/joan-shannon-wins-democratic-nomination-in-burlington-mayors-race-39708118 . January 16, 2024.
  13. News: . February 19, 2024 . February 1, 2024 . Lamdin, Courtney . Two More Candidates Join the Race for Burlington Mayor.
  14. News: . February 19, 2024 . February 5, 2024 . Lamdin, Courtney . Shannon Raises Nearly Twice as Much as Mulvaney-Stanak in Burlington Mayor's Race.