When Burlington residents head to the polls on March 6 to pick their next mayor, they'll also be voting in another election: the presidential primary.

At a public forum Thursday night in the city's Old North End, one resident asked the three mayoral candidates whom they would support for president — but two of them didn't want to divulge their preferences.

"I think that's kind of an invasion of privacy. I mean, we don't go kiss and tell in any other circumstance," said independent candidate Wanda Hines, drawing hoots of approval. "You know, I'm not going to tell you who I'm going in the booth to vote for city council or board commissioner or anything else. So I will pass on that, thank you. It's my right."

Miro Weinberger, the Democratic candidate, was more forthcoming.

"I'm happy to say I'm a proud supporter of Barack Obama and will be happily voting for him again," he said.

Republican Kurt Wright, whose party may still be debating their presidential pick when Vermont's primary rolls around, appeared unenthused by his options.

"I'm going to actually take Wanda's stance in that," he said. "I'm going to focus on Burlington issues, and I really am not supporting anybody right now and don't know who I'm going to support. I'm not certainly happy with what I'm hearing out of the Republican primary now. I think it's an embarrassment. But I'm going to stick to Burlington issues. I think that we need to focus on Burlington."