Updated Wednesday, March 8 at 1:14 p.m.

Burlington Democrats won key races on Town Meeting Day, picking up a seat to increase their power on the city council.

Victories in the East District and Ward 8 means the Dems hold six of 12 seats on the city council, a plurality.



But Mayor Miro Weinberger, the city's top-ranking Democrat, said the party has a majority when counting Councilor Mark Barlow (I-North District), who was endorsed by the Dems in his uncontested reelection bid.

"It's a great night for your party. It's a great night for Burlington," Weinberger told the Democrats assembled at Halvorson's Upstreet Café on Church Street. "Can't wait to get back there and get to work."

Democrat Tim Doherty won the East District with 53.7 percent of the vote, tallying 747 votes to Progressive Jake Schumann’s 643, according to unofficial results.
In a special Ward 8 election, Democrat Hannah King earned 54.9 percent of the vote to defeat Progressive Rhone Allison 228 votes to 187. And incumbent Democrat Joan Shannon trounced two competitors — Progressive Will Anderson and independent FaRied Munarsyah — winning 73.8 percent of the votes cast.

The Dems’ only loss was in the Prog stronghold of the Central District, where Melo Grant bested Avery Muzikar, an independent endorsed by Dems, 66.6 percent to 33.3 percent.

The mood was jubilant at the Dems' Halvorson’s after party, which drew the likes of  Vermont Democratic Party executive director Jim Dandeneau and Vermont Treasurer Mike Pieciak.

“Fucking great night!” Dandeneau exclaimed, high-fiving Pieciak.

Doherty arrived to a round of applause, accepting big hugs from his son, Sam, and Burlington Democratic Committee chair Adam Roof.

"What a wonderful night. What a wonderful experience this has been in the last two months on the campaign trail," the first-time candidate told the party faithful during brief remarks.

The Dems’ domination represents a shift in the city’s political landscape after several years of Prog prominence. The Progs won a plurality on the council in 2020 and have wielded that influence to pass a number of policies, most notably the June 2020 vote to reduce the size of the police force through attrition. Progs have since agreed to hire more cops, but the policy decision still hangs over their heads more than two years later.
Prog councilors in the East District and Ward 8 resigned in quick succession last fall, creating vacancies that Dems have been eager to fill. They succeeded in the East District when Democrat Maea Brandt defeated two challengers in a special election in December.

That same month, Dems drew more than 1,000 people to their nominating caucus — a record in a non-mayoral election year — whereas Progs had just 120 participants.

Dems also built momentum by organizing a campaign to vote down a controversial ballot item that was supported by the Progs: Question 7, which failed 63.2 percent to 36.7 percent. It would have created a new, stronger police oversight board with the power to discipline police officers.

Weinberger backed a political action committee that raked in more donations than any individual candidate to defeat the item. Perhaps the Dems’ greatest victory was in Ward 8, which had been controlled by Progs for two election cycles before the recent resignations. King, who lost to a Prog there last year, campaigned on a pledge to stick around.



Despite wearing the Dem label, King has promised to put “progress before politics.” She also supports “small-P” policies such as rent stabilization and a guaranteed minimum wage.

"It took us two tries, but we figured it out on the second one," she quipped.

Weinberger said the caucus' new "majority" will allow Dems to advance their political agenda.

"This new consensus is going to allow us to accelerate our efforts to rebuild the police department," he said. "It's going to allow us to continue to make major investments in equity and racial justice. It's going to accelerate our progress towards our very ambitious climate and housing goals."

Most of the energy at the Progs’ party, at Drink on St. Paul Street, was reserved for Grant. The candidate said campaigning was tough, noting that she

 frequently had to defend her party’s record on public safety. But she thinks she won because voters appreciate her willingness to “speak the truth.”

Now a councilor-elect, Grant said she wants to address the drug crisis and to encourage residents to be more involved in their government. After she gets a good night’s rest, that is.

“Tomorrow morning, I'm gonna wake up and it’s gonna hit me,” she said. “I’m ready to hit the ground running.”