1989 Burlington mayoral election

← 1987 March 3, 1989 1991 →

Nominee Peter Clavelle Nancy Chioffi Party Independent Democratic Popular vote 5,917 4,624 Percentage 53.76% 42.01%

Results by city council district Clavelle:   Clavelle—50-60%   Clavelle—60-70% Chioffi:   Chioffi—40-50%   Chioffi—50-60%

Mayor of Burlington before election Bernie Sanders Independent Elected Mayor of Burlington Peter Clavelle Independent

Elections in Vermont
Federal government Presidential elections 1792 1796 1800 1804 1808 1812 1816 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Presidential primaries Democratic 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Republican 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 U.S. Senate elections 1791 1794 1796 1796 sp 1797 sp 1800 1801 sp 1802 1806 1807 sp 1808 1809 1812 1814 1817 sp 1818 1818 sp 1821 1825 1827 1831 1833 1833 sp 1837 1839 1842 sp 1843 1845 1848 1850 1854 sp 1855 1856 1861 1862 1866 1866 sp 1868 1872 1874 1878 1880 1884 1886 1890 1892 1892 sp 1896 1898 1900 sp 1902 1904 1908 1908 sp 1909 sp 1910 1914 1916 1920 1922 1923 sp 1926 1928 1931 sp 1932 1934 1934 sp 1938 1940 1940 sp 1944 1946 1946 sp 1950 1952 1956 1958 1962 1964 1968 1970 1972 sp 1974 1976 1980 1982 1986 1988 1992 1994 1998 2000 2004 2006 2010 2012 2016 2018 2022 2024 2028 U.S. House elections 1791 1793 1794/95 1796/97 1797 2nd sp 1798 1800 1802/03 1804/05 1806 1808 1st sp 1810 1812 1814 1816 1818 1820/21 1822 1824 AL sp 1826/27 1828/29 1830/32 1831 2nd sp 1832 1st sp 1833 1834 5th sp 1836 1838 1840 1843 1844 1846 1848 1849 3rd sp 1850 1852 1854 1856 1858 1860 1863 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1923 2nd sp 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 AL sp 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 AL sp 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
State government General elections 2002 2004 2006 2008 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 Gubernatorial elections 1778 1779 1780 1781 1782 1783 1784 1785 1786 1787 1788 1789 1790 1791 1792 1793 1794 1795 1796 1797 1798 1799 1800 1801 1802 1803 1804 1805 1806 1807 1808 1809 1810 1811 1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 Lieutenant gubernatorial elections 2022 Attorney General elections 2022 Senate elections 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 House of Representatives elections 2016 2018 2020 2022
Burlington Mayoral elections 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2006 2009 2012 2015 2018 2021 2024
v t e

The 1989 Burlington mayoral election was held on March 3, 1989. Incumbent Independent Mayor Bernie Sanders did not seek reelection to a fifth term. Peter Clavelle ran as an independent candidate, with the support of the Progressive Coalition, and defeated Democratic nominee Nancy Chioffi.

Chioffi, a member of the city council, defeated city councilor Bill Aswad and Rick Sharp for the Democratic nomination. Clavelle won the endorsement of the Progressive Coalition without opposition although city treasurer John Leopold and city councilor Terry Bouricius had considered running. The Republican Party did not run a candidate in the election and instead offered support for Chioffi. Sandra Baird ran with the Green Party nomination and Michael Hackett ran with the Tax Revolt nomination.

Background

Bernie Sanders won election as Mayor of Burlington, Vermont, in the 1981 mayoral election as an independent.^[1] He won reelection in the 1983, 1985, and 1987 elections.^[2][3][4] During the 1987 campaign Sanders stated that he would not seek reelection in 1989, stating that "eight years is enough and I think it is time for new leadership, which does exist within the coalition, to come up".^[5]

During Sanders' mayoralty the composition of the thirteen-member city council changed from having ten Democratic members and three Republicans after the 1980 election to the pro-Sanders Progressive Coalition holding six of the seats after the 1987 election.^[6][7]

Campaign

Candidates

Democratic

Rick Sharp, who had previous run unsuccessful campaigns for city council and state senate, announced on November 21, 1988, that he would seek the Democratic nomination for mayor.^[8][9] Bill Aswad, a member of the city council from the 4th district, announced on November 25, that he would seek the Democratic nomination.^[10] Nancy Chioffi, president of the city council, announced on December 1, that she would run for the Democratic nomination.^[11][12] Chioffi defeated Aswad and Sharp for the Democratic nomination by five votes at the caucus on January 11, 1989.^[13]

Progressive Coalition

The Progressive Coalition would give its nomination to any non-Democratic or Republican endorsed candidate, even if they ran as an independent, their support if they received 66% of the vote at the coalition's caucus.^[14][15]

Jonathan Leopold, the city treasurer, Terry Bouricius, a member of the city council from the second district, and Peter Clavelle, the Community and Economic Development Director, were considered the most likely candidates for the coalition's nomination.^[15] Gene Bergman, the chair of the coalition, stated that he believed the choices at the caucus would be Leopold, Bouricius, and Clavelle.^[16]

Clavelle announced on November 21, 1988, that he would seek the endorsement of the coalition for mayor and formally announced his campaign on November 29, as an independent candidate.^[9][10][17] On December 5, Leopold announced that he would not run for mayor and chose to take a break from politics for family reason.^[18] Bouricius offered his name for consideration, but did not actively campaign for the endorsement of the coalition.^[19] Bouricius gave a speech at the caucus giving his support to Clavelle while Leopold refused to endorse any candidate in the election.^[20][21]

The coalition caucus, which had a keynote address from Sanders, was held on December 8. Clavelle won the endorsement of the coalition with a unanimous vote.^[22][23] Clavelle wrote a letter to Sanders on November 29, stating that if he won the endorsement of the coalition that he would resign as Community and Economic Development Director and after his victory he offered his resignation on December 22, which was effective on January 30, 1989.^[24]

Republican

Margaret Green considered running for the Republican nomination for mayor.^[25] Theodore Riehle, a Republican who had served as president of the city council, stated that Green would not run if Aswad won the Democratic nomination.^[26] Riehle had considered running for mayor, but declined.^[27] Green announced that she would not run after Chioffi won the Democratic nomination stating that she was "very happy with the selection" and offered to aid the Democratic campaign.^[13] The Republican caucus, which was attended by less than twenty-five people, did not select a mayoral candidate despite Chair Stephen Converse Brooks asking for mayoral nominations twice. Brooks blamed the lack of a candidate for the small attendance and stated that most Republicans would vote for Chioffi.^[28]

Other

Ed Bickford, who had run in the 1987 mayoral election, announced on December 7, 1988, that he would run for mayor as an independent, but dropped out on January 22, 1989, and endorsed Clavelle stating that "I just feel that Peter Clavelle is more qualified for the job than I am".^[29][30] Sandra Baird announced on January 9, 1989, that she would run for mayor with the Green Party's nomination.^[31] Michael Hackett, a teacher who had unsuccessfully run for United States Senate, mayor as the Neutral Party nominee in 1985, and school board, ran for mayor as the Tax Revolt candidate and called for a twenty percent decrease in property taxes.^[32]

General election

Clavelle asked for Chioffi to agree to a campaign spending limit of $35,000 for each of their campaigns, but Chioffi refused. Clavelle also asked for Chioffi to not run any television ads, as Clavelle couldn't afford to air any ads on television and he wanted to prevent the campaign expenses from rising, which Chioffi agreed to. There were ten debates during the campaign.^[33][34] During the campaign Clavelle and Sanders accused Chioffi of conducting a negative campaign.^[35][36]

The Champlain Valley National Organization for Women was critical of Chioffi in their endorsement of Clavelle stating that her positions on the Equal Rights Amendment and gay rights were weak and that Chioffi was "a disappointment" according to Terry Ramsey, the president of the Champlain Valley National Organization for Women.^[37] Sanders gave his endorsement to Clavelle.^[38]

During the campaign Clavelle raised $27,322 and spent $24,287 with no debt remaining, Chioffi raised $20,529 and spent $19,171 with $4,600 in debt, Biard raised $1,744 and spent $906, and Hackett did not file a campaign finance form meaning that he raised less than $100 and he stated at a forum that he had raised $60 and given half of it to charity.^[39]

Polling

Results

Results by ward

Endorsements