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Peter Clavelle

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Peter Clavelle
Clavelle in 2021
38th and 40th Mayor of Burlington
In office
April 4, 1989 – April 5, 1993
Preceded byBernie Sanders
Succeeded byPeter Brownell
In office
April 3, 1995 – April 1, 2006
Preceded byPeter Brownell
Succeeded byBob Kiss
Personal details
Born (1949-05-10) May 10, 1949 (age 76)
Winooski, Vermont, U.S.
Political partyProgressive (1989–2004, 2005–present)
Other political
affiliations		Democratic (2004)
Independent (before 1989)
SpouseBetsy Ferries
Children3
EducationSaint Anselm College (BA)
Syracuse University (MPA)

Peter A. Clavelle (born May 10, 1949) is an American politician who served as the 38th and 40th mayor of Burlington, Vermont, and was the first member of a third party to hold the office since James Edmund Burke in 1935.[1] Bernie Sanders also won several elections as an independent candidate in the 1980s (e.g. in 1981, in 1983, in 1985, in 1987), defeating both Republican and Democratic candidates. Sanders and Clavelle founded the Vermont Progressive Party[broken anchor] during Sanders' time as mayor.

Early life and education

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Peter A. Clavelle was born on May 10, 1949, to Raymond and Eleanor Clavelle in Winooski, Vermont. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in urban studies from Saint Anselm College and a Master of Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.[2]

Career

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In 1961, he was elected mayor of Winooski for a day by his Boy Scout troop.[3] In 1972 he was appointed as Castleton's town manager and in 1976 was appointed as Winooski's city manager. During Bernie Sanders' tenure as mayor of Burlington, Clavelle served as Burlington's personnel director and later as director of the Community and Economic Development Office from 1983 to 1989.

1989–1993 mayoral terms

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See also: 1989 Burlington mayoral election, 1993 Burlington mayoral election, and Peter C. Brownell

Clavelle was elected mayor in 1989 as a Progressive.[1] During the 1993 mayoral election he raised almost twice as much money as his Republican opponent Peter C. Brownell although Brownell was able to take the Burlington police union's endorsement from Clavelle.[4][5] On March 3 Brownell unexpectedly defeated Clavelle with 5,410 votes to 4,686 votes. Clavelle stated that he lost due to the controversy over his proposal (which was passed) to have the city pay for healthcare benefits for domestic partners of city workers.[6]

1995–2006 mayoral terms

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See also: 1995 Burlington mayoral election and 2006 Burlington mayoral election

Clavelle returned to the mayor's office two years later in 1995, after defeating Burlington's 39th Mayor Peter Brownell.

The Draft Clavelle for Governor Committee was formed on September 11, 1998, and attempted to gather 1,000 signatures to place Peter Clavelle on the ballot. However, Clavelle announced that he would not run on September 14.[7]

In 2004, Clavelle ran for Governor of Vermont as a Democrat against incumbent Governor Jim Douglas and four other candidates. In order to run in the Democratic Party primary, Clavelle had to change party affiliation, as required by state law.[8] He received the endorsement of five-term former Democratic Governor Howard Dean, but was defeated, 38% to 59%.[9] After Burlington's switch to instant-runoff voting in 2005, Clavelle decided not to run in the 2006 election.[10]

Clavelle did not seek re-election to an eighth term as mayor in the 2006 Burlington mayoral election.[11] Bob Kiss succeeded Clavelle as mayor in April 2006.

In 2012, Clavelle moved to Albania as a staff member on a USAID-funded local governance Non Governmental Organization called TetraTech. [1] He returned to Vermont in 2016.[10]

Electoral history

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Peter Clavelle electoral history
1989 Burlington, Vermont mayoral election[12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Peter Clavelle 5,917 53.76%
Democratic Nancy Chioffi 4,624 42.01%
Green Sandy L. Baird 370 3.36%
Tax Revolt Party Michael Hackett 95 0.86%
Total votes 11,006 100.00%
1991 Burlington, Vermont mayoral election[13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Peter Clavelle (incumbent) 5,939 77.84%
Independent Haik Bedrosian 838 10.98%
Independent Daniel H. Gregory 517 6.78%
Independent Michael Hackett 336 4.40%
Total votes 7,630 100.00%
1993 Burlington, Vermont mayoral election[14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Peter Brownell 5,410 53.59%
Independent Peter Clavelle (incumbent) 4,686 46.41%
Total votes 10,096 100.00%
1995 Burlington, Vermont mayoral election[15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressive Peter Clavelle 4,933 43.29%
Republican Peter Brownell (incumbent) 4,728 41.49%
Democratic Paul Lafayette 1,735 15.23%
Total votes 11,396 100.00%
1997 Burlington, Vermont mayoral election[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressive Peter Clavelle (incumbent) 4,491 76.14%
Independent Louis Beaudin 413 7.00%
Independent Michael R. Brown 398 6.75%
Write-in 380 6.44%
Independent Maja Capps 216 3.66%
Total votes 5,898 100.00%
1999 Burlington, Vermont mayoral election[17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressive Peter Clavelle (incumbent) 5,829 60.32%
Republican Kurt Wright 3,834 39.68%
Total votes 9,663 100.00%
2001 Burlington, Vermont mayoral election[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressive Peter Clavelle (incumbent) 3,426 55.18%
Republican Kevin Curley 2,664 42.91%
Independent Haik Bedrosian 84 1.35%
Independent John Pius Hogan 35 0.56%
Total votes 6,209 100.00%
2003 Burlington, Vermont mayoral election[19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressive Peter Clavelle (incumbent) 9,270 63.69%
Write-in 2,660 18.28%
Republican Michael R. Brown 2,624 18.03%
Total votes 14,554 100.00%
2004 Vermont gubernatorial election[20][21]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Peter Clavelle 23,218 94.65%
Write-in 1,313 5.35%
Total votes 24,531 100.00%
General election
Republican Jim Douglas (incumbent) 181,540 58.70%
Democratic Peter Clavelle 117,327 47.94%
Marijuana Cris Ericson 4,221 1.37%
Independent Patricia Hejny 2,431 0.79%
Libertarian Hardy Machia 2,263 0.73%
Liberty Union Peter Diamondstone 1,298 0.42%
Write-in 205 0.07%
Total votes 309,285 100.00%

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Kelley, Kevin J. (February 29, 2012). "A Former Mayor's New Direction". 7dvt.com.
  2. ^ "Our Campaigns – Candidate – Peter Clavelle". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  3. ^ "Peter Clavelle: Former mayor is back in the trenches". The Burlington Free Press. February 26, 1995. p. 40. Archived from the original on December 8, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Clavelle holds fund-raising edge in mayor's race". The Burlington Free Press. February 23, 1993. p. 4. Archived from the original on December 1, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Burlington's police union backs Brownell". The Burlington Free Press. February 23, 1993. p. 16. Archived from the original on December 1, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Brownell Wins". The Burlington Free Press. March 3, 1993. p. 1. Archived from the original on December 1, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Clavelle rejects run for governor". The Burlington Free Press. September 15, 1998. p. 4B. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Baruth, Philip (March 16, 2008). "The VDB Sit-Down With Anthony Pollina". Vermont Daily Briefing. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved April 12, 2009.
  9. ^ "VT Elections Database » Search Elections". VT Elections Database. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  10. ^ a b Kelley, Kevin J. (May 25, 2016). "He's Back: Peter Clavelle on Bernie, the Mall and Life in Albania". Seven Days. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  11. ^ Freyne, Peter (September 7, 2005). "Bye, Bye Mayor Moonie!". Seven Days. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  12. ^ "1989 Burlington, VT Mayor". Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  13. ^ "1991 Burlington, VT Mayor". Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  14. ^ "1993 Burlington, VT Mayor". Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  15. ^ "1995 Burlington, VT Mayor". Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  16. ^ "1997 Burlington, VT Mayor". Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  17. ^ "1999 Burlington, VT Mayor". Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  18. ^ "2001 Burlington, VT Mayor". Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  19. ^ "2003 Burlington, VT Mayor". Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  20. ^ "2004 VT Governor - Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  21. ^ "2004 VT Governor". Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Burlington
1989–1993 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Mayor of Burlington
1995–2006 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Governor of Vermont
2004 		Succeeded by
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