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1981 Burlington mayoral election

January 06, 2024

The 1981 Burlington mayoral election was held March 3, 1981. Bernie Sanders, who ran as an independent candidate, defeated incumbent Democratic Mayor Gordon Paquette, who was seeking a sixth term as Mayor of Burlington, Vermont, and Richard Bove.

1981 Burlington mayoral election
← 1979 March 3, 1981 1983 →
 
Nominee Bernie Sanders Gordon Paquette Richard Bove
Party Independent Democratic Independent
Popular vote 4,330 4,320 1,091
Percentage 43.83% 43.72% 11.04%
Results by city council district before recount
Sanders:
  Sanders—40-50%
  Sanders—50-60%

Paquette:
  Paquette—40-50%
Mayor of Burlington before election

Gordon Paquette
Democratic

Elected Mayor of Burlington

Bernie Sanders
Independent

Paquette had easily won reelection to the mayoralty in the 1973, 1975, and 1979 elections and the Democratic Party controlled ten of the thirteen city council seats. Sanders ran in the election due to the amount of support he received in Burlington during his 1976 gubernatorial campaign. Bove initially ran as a Democrat, but became an independent after losing in the primary to Paquette. The Republican Party did not field a candidate and the Citizens Party endorsed Sanders after failing to run Greg Guma. Sanders initially led Paquette by twenty-two votes, but his total vote lead was later decreased to ten votes following a recount.

Sanders' victory was the first time a socialist was elected mayor of a place in New England since the election of Jasper McLevy as mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut during the 1950s. Sanders would later be reelected as mayor in the 1983, 1985, and 1987 elections before being elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1990 and then the United States Senate in 2006.[1]

Background edit

Gordon Paquette, a member of the city council, won election to the mayoralty of Burlington, Vermont, with the Democratic nomination in the 1971 election.[2] Paquette was reelected as mayor in the 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1979 elections with him taking over seventy percent of the popular vote in each election except in 1977.[3][4][5][6][7] After the 1980 elections the Democratic Party controlled ten of the thirteen city council seats.[8]

Campaign edit

Candidates edit

Democratic edit

Paquette announced on January 6, 1981, that he would seek reelection to a sixth term.[9] Richard Bove, a former member of the Burlington Board of Alderman and a member of Burlington's Fire Commission, announced on January 16, that he would seek the Democratic nomination for mayor against Paquette.[10] Bove's decision to run was inspired by discontent with Paquette's raise of taxes, as well as a perceived lack of benefits from Burlington's "urban renewal" projects.[11] Paquette defeated Bove for the Democratic nomination by a vote of 133 to 19.[12]

Republican edit

The Republican Party did not run a candidate in the 1979 mayoral election,[13] after unsuccessfully asking former Chief of Police Robert G. Abare and state Representative Theodore M. Riehle III to run.[14]

Other candidates edit

Bernie Sanders announced on November 8, 1980, that he would seek the mayoral office and formally announced his campaign on December 16, at a press conference in city hall.[15][16] Sanders had been convinced to run for the mayoralty by Richard Sugarman, an Orthodox Jewish scholar at the University of Vermont, had shown Sanders a ward-by-ward breakdown of the 1976 Vermont gubernatorial election, in which Sanders had run, which showed him receiving 12% of the vote in Burlington despite only getting 6% statewide.[17] Sanders selected Linda Niedweske to serve as his campaign manager.[18] The Citizens Party attempted to have Greg Guma run with their nomination for mayor, but Guma declined as it would be "difficult to run against another progressive candidate".[19] The party did not run a candidate, instead endorsing Sanders.[11]

After losing the Democratic primary, Bove announced that he would seek the mayoral office as an independent candidate.[20] Joseph McGrath, a retired building superintendent, also filed to run as an independent candidate.[21][22]

Results and demographics edit

 
Mayor Gordon Paquette's recount petition

Though The Burlington Free Press had projected that Paquette would win by over thirty percentage points, Sanders was elected mayor at the March 3 general election.[11] He was initially declared the victor by a margin of twenty-two votes over Paquette, but the lead was later reduced to ten votes after a recount.[23] His campaign spent around $4,000.[24] Paquette did not contest the results of the recount. On April 6, Sanders was sworn in as Mayor of Burlington, becoming the first socialist mayor in New England since Jasper McLevy in Bridgeport, Connecticut during the 1940s and 1950s.[23][25][26]

Paquette's loss of the election was attributed to his own shortcomings. He did not actively campaign, as he did not consider Sanders and Bove serious challengers, with Sanders having never previously won an election.[27] Paquette was also considered to have lost because he proposed an unpopular 65 cent per $100 raise in taxes that Sanders opposed.[28] There was also a significant student population in Burlington caused by the University of Vermont ending the building of dormitories in 1972.[29]

Murray Bookchin and his friends supported Sanders and Bookchin claimed that Sanders won due to "ten anarchist votes" and that he personally knew those voters.[30]

Results edit

1981 Burlington mayoral election[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Bernie Sanders 4,330 43.83% +43.83%
Democratic Gordon Paquette (incumbent) 4,320 43.72%
Independent Richard Bove 1,091 11.04% +11.04%
Independent Joseph McGrath 139 1.41% +1.41%
Total votes 9,880 100.00%

Results by ward before recount edit

Ward Sanders Votes Paquette Votes Bove Votes McGrath Votes Total votes[32] Votes
Ward 1 44.33% 516 43.30% 504 11.43% 133 0.95% 11 100.00% 1,164
Ward 2 53.29% 616 30.97% 358 14.79% 171 0.95% 11 100.00% 1,156
Ward 3 49.08% 639 35.18% 458 13.13% 171 2.61% 34 100.00% 1,302
Ward 4 36.69% 1,045 48.10% 1,370 13.52% 385 1.69% 48 100.00% 2,848
Ward 5 41.75% 610 43.60% 637 13.35% 195 1.30% 19 100.00% 1,461
Ward 6 43.07% 609 48.51% 686 7.36% 104 1.06% 15 100.00% 1,414

Endorsements edit

Gordon Paquette
Statewide officials
Newspapers
Bernie Sanders
Individuals
Organizations

References edit

  1. ^ "SANDERS, Bernard". United States House of Representatives. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  2. ^ "William Foley Wins Bid for Rutland Mayor". Brattleboro Reformer. March 3, 1971. p. 2. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Paquette Wins 70 Per Cent of Burlington Vote". The Burlington Free Press. March 7, 1973. p. 17. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Paquette Sweeps All City Wards". The Burlington Free Press. March 5, 1975. p. 15. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Voter Turnout Is Light For Town Meeting Day". The Burlington Free Press. March 5, 1975. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Paquette Reelected Easily". The Burlington Free Press. March 2, 1977. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Ward 4 Switches, Picks Republicans". The Burlington Free Press. March 7, 1979. p. 3. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Sweeny Is Tops in Race In North End". The Burlington Free Press. March 5, 1980. p. 8. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Mayor Announces for Sixth Term". The Burlington Free Press. January 7, 1981. p. 13. from the original on November 30, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Bove to Seek Nod As Mayor Candidate". The Burlington Free Press. January 17, 1981. p. 3. from the original on November 30, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Marcetic, Branko (March 3, 2021). "How Bernie Sanders, an Open Socialist, Won Burlington's Mayoral Election". Jacobin. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  12. ^ Abbey, Alan (January 20, 1981). "Paquette Easily Wins Sixth Nod As Democrats' Choice for Mayor". The Burlington Free Press. p. 3. from the original on November 30, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Bernie Sanders, the Socialist Mayor". The Atlantic. October 5, 2015. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  14. ^ Abbey, Alan (October 30, 1980). "Burlington's Republicans Seek Mayoral Candidate". The Burlington Free Press. p. 6. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Liberty Unionite to Run For Mayor of Burlington". The Burlington Free Press. November 9, 1980. p. 19. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "UVM Pair to Work for Independent Coalition". The Burlington Free Press. December 13, 1980. p. 3. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Zeitlin, Matthew (June 13, 2019). "Bernie's Red Vermont". The New Republic. Archived from the original on March 9, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  18. ^ "Sanders Opens Campaign Office". The Burlington Free Press. February 18, 1981. p. 14. from the original on November 30, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Citizens Party Fails To Nominate Candidate". The Burlington Free Press. January 16, 1981. p. 2. from the original on November 30, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Mayor Challenged To Debate Series". The Burlington Free Press. January 21, 1981. p. 11. from the original on November 30, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Fourth files in Burlington mayoral race". Bennington Banner. Associated Press. January 28, 1981. p. 22. from the original on November 30, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Bookchin, Debbie (February 23, 1981). "Four-Way Mayoral Race a Hot One in Burlington". Rutland Daily Herald. Retrieved February 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ a b "Sanders' Victory Affirmed". Barre Montpelier Times Argus. United Press International. March 14, 1981. p. 1. from the original on December 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Mackay, Scott (February 2, 1983). "Gilson Rejects Campaign Fund Limit". The Burlington Free Press. p. 17. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ Abbey, Alan (March 10, 1981). "Board to Conduct Mayoral Recount Friday". The Burlington Free Press. p. 11. from the original on December 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "Mayoral Recount Unchallenged". The Burlington Free Press. March 19, 1981. p. 11. from the original on December 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ Clendinen, Dudley (March 2, 1982). "It's new politics vs. old in Vermont as mayor strives to oust alderman". The New York Times.
  28. ^ Margolis, Jon (March 15, 1983). "Bernie of Burlington". The New Republic. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  29. ^ "SOCIALISM FLOURISHES IN ONCE-CONSERVATIVE VERMONT". Sun-Sentinel. March 19, 1989. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  30. ^ Biehl 2015, p. 208.
  31. ^ "Recount Puts Sanders Up By 10 Votes". The Burlington Free Press. March 14, 1981. p. 4. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ Statement of Votes Annual City Meeting (Report). Burlington, Vermont. March 3, 1981. p. 6.
  33. ^ "Free Press Backs Paquette". Rutland Herald. United Press International. February 24, 1981. p. 4. from the original on December 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ a b c "Sanders picks up more support". The Burlington Free Press. March 2, 1981. Retrieved May 18, 2022.

Works cited edit

January 06, 2024
1981, burlington, mayoral, election, held, march, 1981, bernie, sanders, independent, candidate, defeated, incumbent, democratic, mayor, gordon, paquette, seeking, sixth, term, mayor, burlington, vermont, richard, bove, 1979, march, 1981, 1983, nominee, bernie. The 1981 Burlington mayoral election was held March 3 1981 Bernie Sanders who ran as an independent candidate defeated incumbent Democratic Mayor Gordon Paquette who was seeking a sixth term as Mayor of Burlington Vermont and Richard Bove 1981 Burlington mayoral election 1979 March 3 1981 1983 Nominee Bernie Sanders Gordon Paquette Richard BoveParty Independent Democratic IndependentPopular vote 4 330 4 320 1 091Percentage 43 83 43 72 11 04 Results by city council district before recount Sanders Sanders 40 50 Sanders 50 60 Paquette Paquette 40 50 Mayor of Burlington before electionGordon PaquetteDemocratic Elected Mayor of Burlington Bernie SandersIndependentPaquette had easily won reelection to the mayoralty in the 1973 1975 and 1979 elections and the Democratic Party controlled ten of the thirteen city council seats Sanders ran in the election due to the amount of support he received in Burlington during his 1976 gubernatorial campaign Bove initially ran as a Democrat but became an independent after losing in the primary to Paquette The Republican Party did not field a candidate and the Citizens Party endorsed Sanders after failing to run Greg Guma Sanders initially led Paquette by twenty two votes but his total vote lead was later decreased to ten votes following a recount Sanders victory was the first time a socialist was elected mayor of a place in New England since the election of Jasper McLevy as mayor of Bridgeport Connecticut during the 1950s Sanders would later be reelected as mayor in the 1983 1985 and 1987 elections before being elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1990 and then the United States Senate in 2006 1 Contents 1 Background 2 Campaign 2 1 Candidates 2 1 1 Democratic 2 1 2 Republican 2 1 3 Other candidates 2 2 Results and demographics 3 Results 3 1 Results by ward before recount 4 Endorsements 5 References 6 Works citedBackground editGordon Paquette a member of the city council won election to the mayoralty of Burlington Vermont with the Democratic nomination in the 1971 election 2 Paquette was reelected as mayor in the 1973 1975 1977 and 1979 elections with him taking over seventy percent of the popular vote in each election except in 1977 3 4 5 6 7 After the 1980 elections the Democratic Party controlled ten of the thirteen city council seats 8 Campaign editCandidates edit Democratic edit Paquette announced on January 6 1981 that he would seek reelection to a sixth term 9 Richard Bove a former member of the Burlington Board of Alderman and a member of Burlington s Fire Commission announced on January 16 that he would seek the Democratic nomination for mayor against Paquette 10 Bove s decision to run was inspired by discontent with Paquette s raise of taxes as well as a perceived lack of benefits from Burlington s urban renewal projects 11 Paquette defeated Bove for the Democratic nomination by a vote of 133 to 19 12 Republican edit The Republican Party did not run a candidate in the 1979 mayoral election 13 after unsuccessfully asking former Chief of Police Robert G Abare and state Representative Theodore M Riehle III to run 14 Other candidates edit Bernie Sanders announced on November 8 1980 that he would seek the mayoral office and formally announced his campaign on December 16 at a press conference in city hall 15 16 Sanders had been convinced to run for the mayoralty by Richard Sugarman an Orthodox Jewish scholar at the University of Vermont had shown Sanders a ward by ward breakdown of the 1976 Vermont gubernatorial election in which Sanders had run which showed him receiving 12 of the vote in Burlington despite only getting 6 statewide 17 Sanders selected Linda Niedweske to serve as his campaign manager 18 The Citizens Party attempted to have Greg Guma run with their nomination for mayor but Guma declined as it would be difficult to run against another progressive candidate 19 The party did not run a candidate instead endorsing Sanders 11 After losing the Democratic primary Bove announced that he would seek the mayoral office as an independent candidate 20 Joseph McGrath a retired building superintendent also filed to run as an independent candidate 21 22 Results and demographics edit nbsp Mayor Gordon Paquette s recount petitionThough The Burlington Free Press had projected that Paquette would win by over thirty percentage points Sanders was elected mayor at the March 3 general election 11 He was initially declared the victor by a margin of twenty two votes over Paquette but the lead was later reduced to ten votes after a recount 23 His campaign spent around 4 000 24 Paquette did not contest the results of the recount On April 6 Sanders was sworn in as Mayor of Burlington becoming the first socialist mayor in New England since Jasper McLevy in Bridgeport Connecticut during the 1940s and 1950s 23 25 26 Paquette s loss of the election was attributed to his own shortcomings He did not actively campaign as he did not consider Sanders and Bove serious challengers with Sanders having never previously won an election 27 Paquette was also considered to have lost because he proposed an unpopular 65 cent per 100 raise in taxes that Sanders opposed 28 There was also a significant student population in Burlington caused by the University of Vermont ending the building of dormitories in 1972 29 Murray Bookchin and his friends supported Sanders and Bookchin claimed that Sanders won due to ten anarchist votes and that he personally knew those voters 30 Results edit1981 Burlington mayoral election 31 Party Candidate Votes Independent Bernie Sanders 4 330 43 83 43 83 Democratic Gordon Paquette incumbent 4 320 43 72 Independent Richard Bove 1 091 11 04 11 04 Independent Joseph McGrath 139 1 41 1 41 Total votes 9 880 100 00 Results by ward before recount edit Ward Sanders Votes Paquette Votes Bove Votes McGrath Votes Total votes 32 VotesWard 1 44 33 516 43 30 504 11 43 133 0 95 11 100 00 1 164Ward 2 53 29 616 30 97 358 14 79 171 0 95 11 100 00 1 156Ward 3 49 08 639 35 18 458 13 13 171 2 61 34 100 00 1 302Ward 4 36 69 1 045 48 10 1 370 13 52 385 1 69 48 100 00 2 848Ward 5 41 75 610 43 60 637 13 35 195 1 30 19 100 00 1 461Ward 6 43 07 609 48 51 686 7 36 104 1 06 15 100 00 1 414Endorsements editGordon PaquetteStatewide officialsPhilip H Hoff Governor of Vermont 1963 1969 11 NewspapersThe Burlington Free Press 33 Bernie SandersIndividualsGeorge Albee Professor of Psychology at the University of Vermont and former President of the American Psychological Association 34 Huck Gutman Professor of English at the University of Vermont 34 Richard Sugarman Assistant Professor of Religion at the University of Vermont 34 OrganizationsBurlington Police Patrolmen s Association 11 Citizens Party 11 References edit SANDERS Bernard United States House of Representatives Archived from the original on December 3 2020 Retrieved December 3 2020 William Foley Wins Bid for Rutland Mayor Brattleboro Reformer March 3 1971 p 2 Archived from the original on June 9 2021 Retrieved June 9 2021 via Newspapers com Paquette Wins 70 Per Cent of Burlington Vote The Burlington Free Press March 7 1973 p 17 Archived from the original on June 9 2021 Retrieved June 9 2021 via Newspapers com Paquette Sweeps All City Wards The Burlington Free Press March 5 1975 p 15 Archived from the original on June 9 2021 Retrieved June 9 2021 via Newspapers com Voter Turnout Is Light For Town Meeting Day The Burlington Free Press March 5 1975 p 1 Archived from the original on June 9 2021 Retrieved June 9 2021 via Newspapers com Paquette Reelected Easily The Burlington Free Press March 2 1977 p 1 Archived from the original on June 9 2021 Retrieved June 9 2021 via Newspapers com Ward 4 Switches Picks Republicans The Burlington Free Press March 7 1979 p 3 Archived from the original on June 9 2021 Retrieved June 9 2021 via Newspapers com Sweeny Is Tops in Race In North End The Burlington Free Press March 5 1980 p 8 Archived from the original on June 9 2021 Retrieved June 9 2021 via Newspapers com Mayor Announces for Sixth Term The Burlington Free Press January 7 1981 p 13 Archived from the original on November 30 2020 via Newspapers com Bove to Seek Nod As Mayor Candidate The Burlington Free Press January 17 1981 p 3 Archived from the original on November 30 2020 via Newspapers com a b c d e f Marcetic Branko March 3 2021 How Bernie Sanders an Open Socialist Won Burlington s Mayoral Election Jacobin Retrieved March 3 2021 Abbey Alan January 20 1981 Paquette Easily Wins Sixth Nod As Democrats Choice for Mayor The Burlington Free Press p 3 Archived from the original on November 30 2020 via Newspapers com Bernie Sanders the Socialist Mayor The Atlantic October 5 2015 Archived from the original on June 9 2021 Retrieved June 9 2021 Abbey Alan October 30 1980 Burlington s Republicans Seek Mayoral Candidate The Burlington Free Press p 6 Archived from the original on November 29 2020 Retrieved November 29 2020 via Newspapers com Liberty Unionite to Run For Mayor of Burlington The Burlington Free Press November 9 1980 p 19 Archived from the original on November 29 2020 Retrieved November 29 2020 via Newspapers com UVM Pair to Work for Independent Coalition The Burlington Free Press December 13 1980 p 3 Archived from the original on November 29 2020 Retrieved November 29 2020 via Newspapers com Zeitlin Matthew June 13 2019 Bernie s Red Vermont The New Republic Archived from the original on March 9 2020 Retrieved December 6 2020 Sanders Opens Campaign Office The Burlington Free Press February 18 1981 p 14 Archived from the original on November 30 2020 via Newspapers com Citizens Party Fails To Nominate Candidate The Burlington Free Press January 16 1981 p 2 Archived from the original on November 30 2020 via Newspapers com Mayor Challenged To Debate Series The Burlington Free Press January 21 1981 p 11 Archived from the original on November 30 2020 via Newspapers com Fourth files in Burlington mayoral race Bennington Banner Associated Press January 28 1981 p 22 Archived from the original on November 30 2020 via Newspapers com Bookchin Debbie February 23 1981 Four Way Mayoral Race a Hot One in Burlington Rutland Daily Herald Retrieved February 1 2022 via Newspapers com a b Sanders Victory Affirmed Barre Montpelier Times Argus United Press International March 14 1981 p 1 Archived from the original on December 3 2020 via Newspapers com Mackay Scott February 2 1983 Gilson Rejects Campaign Fund Limit The Burlington Free Press p 17 Archived from the original on December 5 2020 Retrieved December 5 2020 via Newspapers com Abbey Alan March 10 1981 Board to Conduct Mayoral Recount Friday The Burlington Free Press p 11 Archived from the original on December 3 2020 via Newspapers com Mayoral Recount Unchallenged The Burlington Free Press March 19 1981 p 11 Archived from the original on December 3 2020 via Newspapers com Clendinen Dudley March 2 1982 It s new politics vs old in Vermont as mayor strives to oust alderman The New York Times Margolis Jon March 15 1983 Bernie of Burlington The New Republic Retrieved January 19 2020 SOCIALISM FLOURISHES IN ONCE CONSERVATIVE VERMONT Sun Sentinel March 19 1989 Archived from the original on June 9 2021 Retrieved June 9 2021 Biehl 2015 p 208 Recount Puts Sanders Up By 10 Votes The Burlington Free Press March 14 1981 p 4 Archived from the original on June 7 2021 Retrieved June 7 2021 via Newspapers com Statement of Votes Annual City Meeting Report Burlington Vermont March 3 1981 p 6 Free Press Backs Paquette Rutland Herald United Press International February 24 1981 p 4 Archived from the original on December 3 2020 via Newspapers com a b c Sanders picks up more support The Burlington Free Press March 2 1981 Retrieved May 18 2022 Works cited editBiehl Janet 2015 Ecology or Catastrophe The Life of Murray Bookchin Oxford University Press ISBN 9780199342488 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 1981 Burlington mayoral election amp oldid 1180107008, 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