1981 Burlington mayoral election

Incumbent Democratic mayor Gordon Paquette announced on January 6, 1981, that he would seek reelection to a sixth term.[2] Richard Bove, a former member of the Burlington Board of Alderman and a member of Burlington's Fire Commission, announced on January 16, that he would seek the Democratic nomination for mayor against Paquette.[3] Paquette defeated Bove for the Democratic nomination by a vote of 133 to 19.[4]

The Republican Party asked former Chief of Police Robert G. Abare and state Representative Theodore M. Riehle III to run in the mayoral election.[5]

Bernie Sanders announced on November 8, 1980, that he would seek the mayoral office and formally announced his campaign on December 16, at a press conference in city hall.[6][7] Sanders selected Linda Niedweske to serve as his campaign manager.[8] The Citizens Party attempted to have Greg Guma run with their nomination for mayor, but Guma declined as it would be "difficult to run against another progressive candidate".[9] Sanders had been convinced to run for the mayoralty by Richard Sugarman, an Orthodox Jewish scholar at the University of Vermont, who had shown Sanders a ward-by-ward breakdown of the 1976 Vermont gubernatorial election, in which Sanders had run, which showed him receiving 12% of the vote in Burlington despite only getting 6% statewide.[10]

After losing in the Democratic primary Bove announced that he would seek the mayoral office as an independent candidate.[11] Joseph McGrath also filed to run for the mayoralty of Burlington as an independent candidate.[12]

Sanders won in the mayoral election initially by twenty-two votes against Paquette, Bove, and McGrath, but it was later reduced to ten votes.[13] Paquette did not contest the results of the recount. Sanders was the first socialist mayor in New England since Jasper McLevy served as mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut, during the 1940s and 1950s. Sanders was later sworn in as Mayor of Burlington, Vermont, on April 6.[13][14][15]

Paquette's loss of the election was attributed to his own shortcomings, as he did not campaign or promote his candidacy since both Sanders and Independent candidate Richard Bove were not seen as serious challengers, as Sanders had not previously won an election.[16] Paquette was also considered to have lost because he proposed an unpopular 65 cent per $100 raise in taxes that Sanders opposed.[17] Sanders had spent around $4,000 during the campaign.[18]