The chair of the University of Vermont Progressives announced Thursday that he would challenge Adam Roof (I-Ward 8) for his Burlington City Council seat next March.
Sophomore Carter Neubieser, 20, declared his candidacy on the steps of UVM’s Bailey/Howe library, a backward baseball cap snugged over his shaggy blond hair.
“Our generation has been handed quite the mess,” he said, citing high tuition, low wages, climate change and a growing drug epidemic. About 15 students turned out for the announcement, as did Isaac Grimm, the political engagement director of Rights and Democracy, and, briefly, city Councilor Max Tracy (P-Ward 2).
Neubieser, of New Britain, Conn., said that if elected, he would work for increased affordable housing, including co-op housing for students on campus, and improved walking and biking routes across the city.
Neubieser will seek the endorsement of the Progressive Party. He’s never served in government, he said, but did volunteer for Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign.
He jabbed at Roof for supporting Tucows, a private Toronto company, over the co-op Keep BT Local as a buyer for Burlington Telecom.
On Facebook, Roof congratulated Neubieser on the announcement. “I’ve always believed that competitive elections are healthy for democracy,” he wrote. Roof, 28, also attended UVM.
Environmental activist James Ehlers, who has said he will run against Gov. Phil Scott in 2018, introduced Neubieser. “About 20 years ago, we could only dream about having young people involved,” Ehlers said of the Progressive Party. “People of my generation, we’re here to support you.”
Ehlers solicited help from students for his own campaign, saying he would be seeking volunteers — but only after Neubieser’s victory on Town Meeting Day.
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Curious- luckily we have strong voting rights here in Vermont and I like many other out-of-state students across the country was able to vote in the town I lived in for 10 months a year for issues that impacted me directly. I dont see why anyone would discourage people from voting, especially from young college students who may soon be a part of the community.
Not sure if he is considered an out of state student by UVM, If he is congrats and good luck.
If not, I do not understand why anyone paying out of state tuition would or could be considered eligible to vote here.
If you are paying out of state tuition you should not be able to vote here let alone hold elected office.
Considering that the marketing forces have challenged small grassroots democracy in Vermont for a long time, people who come forward to fight for those who don’t treat our city like a monopoly board are well needed. Considering that a Brooklyn kid many years ago become involved in local democracy and now lives up in Ward 7 as our US senator, is a good sign.
As I said in the article, I welcome Carter to the race and look forward to a positive election season focused on issues and details. There is no good that comes from discouragement or personal attacks. I’m expecting Carter to run a respectable campaign, and even if you don’t think he has the relevant experience he should be afforded respect throughout this democratic process. It takes conviction to put yourself out there, especially in a community such as Burlington. Also, student participation in campaigns are nothing new to Burlington (two ran for City Council in 2015). Students are more involved in local government than most think, Just one example – I have a dozen of students playing a role directing my sexual assault prevention policy initiative at this very moment.
So excited to see this announcement! It’s frustrating to see people routinely lament the lack of young people in Vermont, then turn around and criticize young people for getting involved. Our political system can only benefit from new faces, young voices, and fresh perspectives. Cheers to you, Carter, and hopefully you inspire more intelligent, thoughtful, progressive-minded young people to run for office!
Ethan Allen was from Connecticut, and look how venerated he is in Vermont!
But on a more serious note: students’ voices are crucial in our local government, since students make up nearly a third of Burlington’s population for most of the year. I am excited to see this revolution take place, considering the man who sits at the head of our country. A lot of students have woken up in light of this, and I think Carter will make this city a much better place to live, breathe, study, and work. Congrats !
Vermont has gone crazy 1st a 13 year old has announced he is running for governor and now some flatlander kid that is not even a resident of the state is running to run the nut house that is Burlington. What will the crazies think of next. This kid needs to go back to UConn and take his crazy ideas with him or at least start with student council before he tries to run a real campaign.
Carter will bring a young, critical, progressive and enthusiastic perspective to the City Council. A lot of Vermonters including myself want more young people to come to this state and I think that starts with putting some of them in positions of power. Despite what the above commenters might say, Carter knows where City Hall is and he’s probably there more frequently than you.
knowyourassumptions – would you rather restrict who is eligible to run, or let the process work and have voters choose who they want to represent them from multiple candidates? Isn’t this the basis of democracy?
Why stop at having 20-year old college sophomores from Connecticut who’ve never held office, run our city? Let’s elect high schoolers, middle schoolers, elementary schoolers, kindergarten kids, and pre-schoolers. Heck, let’s elect babies. As Ehlers said, we need the youth perspective. So what if they know virtually nothing and have virtually no life experience? So what if they don’t actually know where City Hall is? So what if they can’t even talk yet? We need them!
Never was the meaning of the term sophomore more accurate than in this arrogant instance.