1991 Burlington, Vermont mayoral election

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

On March 3, 1991, Burlington voters elected Peter Clavelle as mayor. The incumbent, who ran as an independent, was endorsed by the Progressive Coalition and defeated three independents: Haik Bedrosian, Daniel Gregory, and Michael Hackett. Neither the Democratic nor the Republican parties ran mayoral candidates that year; Democrats focused on the city council instead.

Clavelle had won the Progressive Coalition endorsement in December 1990 and campaigned on a record of existing policies and a vision for the future. Two ballot questions asked voters to approve a 6.5-cent property tax increase for school funding and a $1 million bond to expand two elementary schools, both supported by Clavelle.

Bedrosian, a Burlington High School senior, ran to push youth representation in government; Gregory and Hackett also ran as independents. Bedrosian called for a campaign-finance limit of $5,000, while Gregory did not commit to a limit but said he would keep spending around that level. The race included one main public event and two debates.

Clavelle won with about 78% of the vote (6,162 votes). Bedrosian received about 11% (865 votes) and Gregory about 7% (522 votes); Hackett’s exact vote total isn’t listed. Voter turnout was 36%, the lowest for a Burlington mayoral election since 1981.

After the election, the city council shifted to five Progressive Coalition members, six Democrats, and two Republicans, with Democrats gaining two seats. The outcome kept the mayor’s office under Coalition influence and set the stage for Clavelle’s next term.