Burlington's mayoral election has yet to be decided, but incumbent Mayor Miro Weinberger has undoubtedly won the money race.

Campaign finance reports filed with the Vermont Secretary of State on Friday — the last batch before the March 2 election — show the three-term Democrat has pulled in $132,673 from 483 donors since the campaign's start.

Weinberger raised $6,526 since the last filing deadline of February 20, including a $1,040 donation from former Vermont governor and fellow Dem Peter Shumlin.

Weinberger has raked in six-figure donations in three of his four elections for mayor. Ahead of the March 2 election this year, he beat his personal best of close to $125,000 in 2018.

Progressive challenger Max Tracy, the city council president, has raised $66,570, including $3,234 in the last week. Tracy has received donations from from 575 people thus far — more than any other candidate, a lead Tracy has held through the duration of the race.
Independent candidate Ali Dieng, a fellow city councilor, has raised $11,317 from 120 donors. Supporters gave $397 since the last filing deadline.

Weinberger has also outspent both candidates. He's shelled out $102,010 to date, including close to $34,000 in the last week. Larger expenditures include $4,653 for yard signs and postcards, $1,344 for radio spots on WVMT and WCPV and $1,000 in online advertising.

Tracy has spent close to $52,700, while Dieng has spent just under $9,300.

The four other independents in the race — Haik Bedrosian, Will Emmons, Kevin McGrath and Patrick White — did not file any campaign finance reports.

On Friday evening, Dieng, Tracy and Weinberger all showed up on North Avenue at the Route 127 interchange along with supporters to hold up signs and wave to passing motorists.

Cost to the candidates: zero dollars.

For the second time in as many years, Burlington’s North District has an open city council seat on Town Meeting Day.

All four city council district seats, which represent two wards apiece, are up for election on March 2. Franklin Paulino, a Democrat and one-term councilor in the North District, is the only incumbent not running for reelection.

Competing for his seat are independent Mark Barlow and Progressive/Democrat Kienan Christianson.

While some of their policies differ, the candidates both said the hyper-partisan dynamic on the council motivated them to run. Both say they're best suited to temper the political divide — Barlow because he hasn't aligned himself with either party and Christianson because he's able to work with both.

“I wouldn't caucus with anybody, but I would talk to everybody,” Barlow said. “The people that I would probably seek out most frequently are the people that I disagreed most strenuously with and tried to find common ground.”

Said Christianson: “When people get backed into their corners … it’s hard to find a path forward.” After he earned endorsements from both parties, Christianson said, it’s clear Burlingtonians want a councilor “who can work with both sides.”

Updated on February 22, 2021.

Renter-rights advocates are condemning signs that urge Burlington voters to protect tenants of color by rejecting a ballot item that would ban no-cause evictions. The proposal, the advocates say, would help, not harm, those tenants.

"Vote No on #5 Just Cause," the signs say. "Protect BIPOC tenants from racist neighbors."

The unsigned messages, which appeared along heavily trafficked public rights of way, seem to suggest that if Question 5 passes this Town Meeting Day, landlords would not be able to evict tenants who harass neighbors who are Black, Indigenous and other people of color.

The orange and white placards drew ire from proponents of the ballot item, including City Councilor Zoraya Hightower (P-Ward 1), who last year became the first woman of color to be elected to the council.

With days to go until the Town Meeting Day election on March 2, records show Mayor Miro Weinberger has maintained his two-to-one fundraising lead over his Progressive challenger, City Council President Max Tracy.

Campaign finance reports filed with the Vermont Secretary of State on Saturday night show the three-term Democrat has raked in $126,147, besting his own record-breaking haul of about $125,500 during the 2018 campaign. He has brought in $40,400 since January 31, the last reporting deadline.

“I am both humbled and grateful to have earned your support,” Weinberger wrote in an email to supporters Saturday evening. “Our fundraising success confirms what I have sensed since we launched our campaign in December, Burlingtonians know these are serious times and this is a critical election.”
Tracy has raised $63,336 total, including $20,895 this reporting period. He's also attracted the most new donors since the last reporting deadline and has the most contributors in the race. A total of 547 people have donated to Tracy’s campaign, while 461 have given to Weinberger and 115 to fellow contender Councilor Ali Dieng (I-Ward 7).

Dieng has raised $10,920 to date, about $3,200 since the last filing date.