2006 Burlington mayoral election
March 7, 2006
 
Nominee Bob Kiss Hinda Miller Kevin Curley
Party Progressive Coalition Democratic Republican
First round count 3,809 (38.96%) 3,106 (31.77%) 2,609 (26.68%)
Final round count 4,761 (54.43%) 3,986 (45.57%) eliminated
Mayor of Burlington before election

Peter Clavelle
Progressive

 Elected Mayor of Burlington

Bob Kiss
Progressive

On March 7, 2006 a mayoral election was held in Burlington, Vermont, United States. Incumbent Mayor Peter Clavelle declined to seek reelection and Progressive nominee Bob Kiss was elected to succeed him.

Background

Peter Brownell's victory in the 1993 election against Progressive Coalition Mayor Peter Clavelle was the first time a Republican had won Burlington's mayoralty since Edward A. Keenan left office in 1965, and ended the Progressive's control over the mayoralty which started with Bernie Sanders' victory in the 1981 election.[1] However, Clavelle regained the mayoralty in the 1995 election.[2]

In 2005, voter approved a referendum implementing instant-runoff voting for mayoral elections.[3] Jo LaMarche, the director of elections for Burlington, organized a mock election using the system on January 27, 2006.[4] Burlington was the first place in Vermont to use the voting system.[5]

Democratic

Nominee

Eliminated

Withdraw

Declined

John Tracy announced his campaign on March 16, 2005, but withdrew on September 23. Hinda Miller announced her campaign on September 20, and Andy Montroll announced on September 23.[8][7][6] Christine Salembier managed Miller's campaign.[10] Miller and Montroll participated in a 70-minute debate hosted by Town Meeting TV.[11]

The Democratic caucus was held on January 5, 2006. It was the most attended caucus in Burlington Democratic history, beating the previous record set during the 1989 election.[12] Carina Driscoll, a former Progressive member of the city council, voted for Miller in the caucus as the Progressives seemed to not have a candidate.[13] Montroll considered running as an independent after losing the Democratic nomination, but declined on January 19, 2006.[14][15]

2006 Burlington Democratic mayoral caucus[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Hinda Miller 550 51.84%
Democratic Andy Montroll 511 48.16%
Total votes 1,061 100.00%

Progressive

Nominee

Declined

Clavelle sought the Democratic mayoral nomination in 2003, and ran with the Democratic nomination in the 2004 gubernatorial election. This angered Progressives, including chair of Burlington's Progressives Tiki Archambeau. Tiki stated that Clavelle was "not the candidate we have in mind" for the 2006 mayoral election.[19] Clavelle announced that he would not run for reelection on September 7, 2005.[18] Bob Kiss won the party's nomination at its caucus on January 8, 2006.[16]

Republican

Nominee

  • Kevin Curley, member of the Burlington city council from the 4th district[20]

Eliminated

  • Kevin Ryan, Republican nominee for city council from 3rd ward in 2001 and 2003 elections[21]

Kevin Curley, the Republican nominee in the 2001 mayoral election, announced his campaign on November 28, 2005. [20] Curley was the only councilor to vote against putting the proposal to use instant runoff voting for mayoral elections onto the ballot.[22] The Republican caucus was held on December 6.[23] Harry Snyder managed Curley's campaign.[10]

2006 Burlington Republican mayoral caucus[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Kevin Curley 49 81.67%
Republican Kevin Ryan 20 18.33%
Total votes 69 100.00%

Others

Ion Laskaris', who served on the city council from 1990 to 1992, campaign announcement in January 2005, made him the first person to announce their campaign for mayor. He planned on running as an independent fusion candidate with the support of the Republican and Democratic parties. He criticized the Democrats for giving their nomination to Clavelle in the 2003 election.[24] He withdrew from the election on January 27, 2006.[25]

Less than ten people attended the Green Party's caucus.[15] Loyal Ploof, a member of the school board and chair of the Burlington Green Party, was given the party's nomination. The active membership of the Green Party in the city was a maximum of seven according to Ploof and receiving 400 votes would be a great success for his candidacy. Craig Chevrier, the former chair of the Vermont Green Party, said that the party was dysfunctional and Ploof was an example of it.[26][27]

General election

Curley told his supporters to rank Kiss second.[28] Miller spent $66,758,20 during the campaign, $28,188 before the nomination and $38,570 in the general election. Kiss spent $19,788 and Curley spent $11,148. Miller spent $16.75 per vote, Curley spent $4.27 per vote, and Kiss spent $4.15 per vote.[29] Miller had two paid staffers before winning the nomination and then one paid staffer and her campaign manager. Kiss's campaign manager was his only campaign employee.[30]

Debates

2006 Burlington mayoral election debates
 No.Date & TimeHostModeratorParticipants
Key:
 P  Participant    A  Absent    N  Non-invitee    I  Invitee		 Progressive Democratic Republican Independent Green
Bob Kiss Hinda Miller Kevin Curley Louis Beaudin Loyal Ploof
  1[10][31]  
February 13, 2006
7:30 p.m. EDT
Mark Kaplan
 P P P P P

Endorsements

Kiss endorsements
State officials
Miller endorsements
Federal officials
State officials
Local officials

Results

2006 Burlington mayoral election[35]
Party Candidate Round 1 Round 2
Votes % Votes %
Vermont Progressive Party Bob Kiss 3,809 38.95 4,761 54.43
Democratic Party Hinda Miller 3,106 31.77 3,986 45.57
Republican Party Kevin Curley 2,609 26.68 Eliminated
Independent Louis Beaudin 119 1.22 Eliminated
Green Party Loyal Ploof 57 0.58 Eliminated
Write-in 78 0.80 Eliminated
Total active votes 9,778 99.90 8,747 89.36
Exhausted ballots 10 0.10 1,041 10.64
Total votes 9,788 100 9,788 100

References

  1. ↑ "Brownell Wins". The Burlington Free Press. March 3, 1993. p. 1. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "Clavelle squeaks by Brownell". The Burlington Free Press. March 8, 1995. p. 1. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "City rejects local sales tax, approves mayoral run-off". The Burlington Free Press. March 2, 2005. p. 2B. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Mock election tests IRV tabulation". The Burlington Free Press. January 28, 2006. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Town eyes instant runoff". Bennington Banner. November 2, 2005. p. 3. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 "Sen. Miller announces run for Burlington mayor". The Burlington Free Press. September 21, 2005. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 3 "Tracy Out; Montroll will run". The Burlington Free Press. September 24, 2005. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 "Democratic leader making a run for Burlington mayor". Rutland Herald. March 17, 2005. p. B5. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Lafayette passes on mayoral bid". The Burlington Free Press. November 2, 2005. p. 3B. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. 1 2 3 "Candidates set dates for debates". The Burlington Free Press. January 24, 2006. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Mayor: Democrats make their case". The Burlington Free Press. December 23, 2005. p. 3B. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. 1 2 "Burlington Democrats choose Miller as candidate for mayor". Brattleboro Reformer. January 6, 2006. p. 10. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Mayor: Democrats nominate Miller". The Burlington Free Press. January 6, 2006. p. 17. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Montroll weighs independent run". The Burlington Free Press. January 13, 2006. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. 1 2 "Montroll declines to run for mayor as independent". The Burlington Free Press. January 20, 2006. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. 1 2 "Progressives nominate Kiss". The Burlington Free Press. January 9, 2006. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "City Democrats nominate Miller". The Burlington Free Press. January 6, 2006. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. 1 2 "Clavelle to leave City Hall in April". The Burlington Free Press. January 19, 2005. p. 1A. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "Mayor: Clavelle to give annual speech". The Burlington Free Press. April 4, 2005. p. 3B. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. 1 2 "Republican Councilor Curley makes 2nd run for mayor". The Burlington Free Press. November 29, 2005. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "Ryan seeks GOP nomination for mayor". The Burlington Free Press. December 5, 2005. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ "Burlington Council sets March ballot items". The Burlington Free Press. January 19, 2005. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. 1 2 "Burlington Republicans nominate Curley for mayor". The Burlington Free Press. December 7, 2005. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ "Laskaris anxious to oust Mayor Clavelle". The Burlington Free Press. January 30, 2005. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ↑ "Kiss: Progressive candidate begins campaign". The Burlington Free Press. January 30, 2005. p. 2B. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ "Green candidate runs for city mayor". The Burlington Free Press. January 21, 2006. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ "Mayor: Green candidate runs for Burlington's top job". The Burlington Free Press. January 21, 2006. p. 2B. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ↑ "Burlington first to use runoff election". Brattleboro Reformer. March 6, 2006. p. 3. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ↑ "Miller outspent Kiss by 3-to-1 ratio in losing campaign". The Burlington Free Press. April 1, 2006. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ↑ "Mayoral candidates file finance reports". Brattleboro Reformer. March 2, 2006. p. 3. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ↑ "Burlington mayoral candidates debate tonight". The Burlington Free Press. February 13, 2006. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ↑ "High caliber leadership". The Burlington Free Press. February 20, 2006. p. 4A. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. 1 2 3 "Clavelle, Knodell endorse Sen. Miller for mayor". The Burlington Free Press. March 8, 2006. p. 6A. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. 1 2 "Clavelle, Knodell endorse Sen. Miller for mayor". The Burlington Free Press. January 4, 2006. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ↑ "ChoicePlus Pro 2006 Burlington Mayor Round 2 Report". March 7, 2006. Archived from the original on October 6, 2006.
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