1985 Burlington mayoral election

1985 Burlington mayoral election

← 1983 March 5, 1985 1987 →

Nominee Bernie Sanders Brian D. Burns Diane Gallagher Party Independent Democratic Independent Popular vote 5,760 3,275 1,234 Percentage 55.32% 31.45% 11.85%

Results by city council district Sanders:   Sanders—50-60%   Sanders—60-70%   Sanders—70-80% Tied:   Tied—39%

Mayor of Burlington before election Bernie Sanders Independent Elected Mayor of Burlington Bernie Sanders 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 2024 Attorney General elections 2022 2024 Senate elections 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 House of Representatives elections 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Ballot measures 2022 Proposal 5
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 1985 Burlington mayoral election was held March 5, 1985.^[1] Incumbent Mayor Bernie Sanders won with 56.09% of the popular vote against Democratic nominee Brian D. Burns, independent Diane Gallagher, and various other minor candidates.

Gallagher initially sought the nomination of the Republican Party, but later became an independent candidate. William Murray and Richard Sartelle sought the Republican nomination, but the Republican caucus voted unanimously to not nominate a candidate. Sartelle also unsuccessfully sought the nomination of the Liberty Union Party which also chose to not nominate a candidate.

Incumbent Mayor Bernie Sanders, who won as an independent in the 1981 and 1983 elections, initially considered not seeking a third term as Mayor of Burlington, Vermont, but announced on December 5, 1984, that he would seek a third term.^[2] Sanders formally launched his campaign on December 7.^[3] The Progressive Coalition had considered running Gary DeCarolis, a member of the city council from the 3rd district, or Peter Clavelle for mayor if Sanders did not run.^[4]

Richard Sartelle and John Tatro also filed to run as independents while Michael Hackett filed under the Neutral Party.^[5] Sartelle had worked as an aide for Sanders during the 1981 election before breaking with him during the 1983 election and later referring to Sanders as dictatorial during the 1985 campaign.^[6] He sought the endorsement of the Liberty Union Party, but the party chose to not endorse any candidate.^[7] Tatro, a toy maker and perennial candidate, had run numerous previous campaigns for both congress and the Burlington city council.^[8] He advocated for homeless individuals to be housed in unused apartments, a ban on glass containers and the arrest of social workers who approved "underserving applicants" for social programs.^[9]

Brian D. Burns, who served as the 72nd Lieutenant Governor of Vermont and whose brother, James Burns, was a staunch critic of Sanders on the Burlington city council until a pro-Sanders candidate defeated him, announced on December 12, 1984, that he would seek the Democratic nomination for the mayoralty.^[10] Burns formally announced his candidacy for mayor on December 19.^[11]

Burns defeated Terje Anderson, a gay man who supported Jesse Jackson during the 1984 Democratic presidential primaries, a member of the Rainbow Coalition, and who served on the 1984 Democratic platform committee, by a vote of 109 to 19.^[12] Anderson refused to endorse Burns at the convention, accusing him of abandoning liberal Democrats, and stating to The Burlington Free Press that he expected Sanders to win re-election.^[12]

Diane Gallagher, a Republican member of the city council from the sixth ward, announced that she would run for the mayoralty.^[13] However, on January 14, 1985, Gallagher announced that she would not seek the Republican nomination and would instead seek the mayoralty as an independent. She withdrew citing opposition to her candidacy within the Republican Party, who wanted to unite behind Brian Burns, and her desire to avoid becoming a divisive force.^[14] She also stated that over sixty percent of voters in Burlington were independents.^[15]

Maggie Green, who was considered as the "perfect unity candidate" by The Burlington Free Press, chose not to run for the Republican nomination.^[13] William Murray and Richard Sartelle sought the Republican nomination, but the Republican caucus voted unanimously to not nominate a candidate.^[16]

William J. Murray announced on January 16, 1985, that he would seek the mayoralty as a Libertarian and formally announced his campaign on January 28.^[17][18]

During the campaign Sanders had raised $24,428, spent $24,384, and had remaining debts of $555. Burns raised $21,465, spent $23,753, and had remaining debts of around $3,000. Gallagher had raised $10,060, spent $9,030, and had remaining debts of $1,271.^[19]