click to enlarge - Luke Awtry
- People outside Burlington's Ward 5 polling place
Progressives in Burlington flipped a seat on the city council and managed to hold several others, but Democrats will maintain a slim advantage.
Still, the results —
much like the mayoral race — surprised even some Prog Party faithful. Democrats seemed to be setting the campaign agenda, and top Progressive incumbents had chosen not to seek reelection.
Democrats now hold six seats on the 12-seat body, while Progressives hold five. Councilor Mark Barlow (I-North District), who was not up for reelection on Tuesday, almost always votes with Democrats, giving the party an effective majority.
Progressives retook Ward 8, a student-heavy district that encompasses the University of Vermont, as Marek Broderick defeated Democratic incumbent Hannah King by a 14-point margin. Broderick is a UVM student who cochairs the university chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America. King managed Democratic mayoral candidate Joan Shannon’s unsuccessful campaign.
“I cannot believe we won!” someone yelled when Broderick's results were displayed at a Progressive Party gathering at Zero Gravity brewery.
The war in Gaza loomed large for young voters in Ward 8. Broderick made Palestinian liberation a part of his campaign. King had supported calls for a cease-fire, but she also opposed activists’ failed bid to place an “anti-apartheid” resolution on the city ballot. The proposed measure, defeated by a 7-5 vote, had called for an end to “Israel's apartheid regime, settler colonialism, and military occupation" of Palestine.
In Ward 1, Progressive Carter Neubieser won 55 percent of votes, enough to defeat Democrat Geoff Hand. He will succeed fellow Progressive Zoraya Hightower, who did not seek reelection.
Neubieser told supporters that he and other campaign volunteers knocked on every door in the district — three times per address. He said the Progressive platform, coupled with a strong ground campaign, was a winning formula.
“When we go out and talk to neighbors, explain what’s going on in the city and talk about economic justice, talk about ensuring those at the very top are paying their fair share, we win elections,” Neubieser said.
The only Progressive incumbent up for reelection, Gene Bergman, won an uncontested race in Ward 2, the left-wing stronghold encompassing much of the Old North End.
In Ward 3, Progressive Joe Kane handily won a three-way race, beating Democrat Malik Mines, who failed to qualify for the ballot and instead ran as a write-in candidate. Kane won 67 percent of votes to Mines’ 19 percent. Republican Christopher-Aaron Felker received 14 percent of votes.
In other districts, however, Democrats notched some strong showings. Evan Litwin cruised to victory in the closely watched Ward 7 race to replace outgoing independent councilor Ali Dieng in the New North End. Litwin earned 67 percent of the vote to 33 percent for Progressive Lee Morrigan.
Democrat Becca Brown McKnight, who runs a small marketing firm, easily defeated Progressive nominee Will Anderson, 70.5 percent to 28.7 percent, to take over outgoing Council President Karen Paul’s seat in Ward 6.
Incumbent Democrat Sarah Carpenter won reelection in Ward 4 over Progressive Dan Castrigano by a nearly three-to-one margin, and incumbent Democrat Ben Traverse prevailed in Ward 5 over independent challenger Lena Greenberg, 67 percent to 33 percent.