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
- Joan Shannon, city councilor and former council president
Eliminated at caucus
- CD Mattison, nonprofit executive and former vice chair of the Burlington Democratic Party[6]
- Karen Paul, city council president[7]
Declined
Results
Progressive caucus
The Progressive caucus was held on December 7, 2023.
Nominee
Declined
- Zoraya Hightower, city councilor[9]
- Joe Magee, city councilor
- Max Tracy, former city council president and nominee for mayor in 2021[10] (endorsed Mulvaney-Stanak)[11]
Endorsements
Republican caucus
The Republican caucus was held on December 19, 2023.[12] No candidate was nominated for the mayoral race.
Declined
- Kurt Wright, former state representative, former Burlington city council president, and nominee for mayor in 2009 and 2012
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
- News: . Mulvaney-Stanak wins Burlington mayor's race . March 5, 2024 . March 5, 2024.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 .
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- News: . February 19, 2024 . February 1, 2024 . Lamdin, Courtney . Two More Candidates Join the Race for Burlington Mayor.
- News: . February 19, 2024 . February 5, 2024 . Lamdin, Courtney . Shannon Raises Nearly Twice as Much as Mulvaney-Stanak in Burlington Mayor's Race.