Peter Clavelle

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 during Sanders' time as mayor.

Peter Clavelle
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
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)

Early life and education

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

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
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 Clavell.[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
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.

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.[7] He received the endorsement of five-term former Democratic Governor Howard Dean, but was defeated, 38% to 59%.[8] After Burlington's switch to instant-runoff voting in 2005, Clavelle decided not to run in the 2006 election.[9]

Clavelle did not seek re-election to an eighth term as mayor in the 2006 Burlington mayoral election.[10] 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 project.[1] He returned to Vermont in 2016.[9]

See also

References
  1. 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. 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.
  8. "VT Elections Database » Search Elections". VT Elections Database. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  9. 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.
  10. Freyne, Peter (September 7, 2005). "Bye, Bye Mayor Moonie!". Seven Days. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
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