BARRE—Vermont’s eight mayors unanimously endorsed T.J. Donovan on Wednesday to be the next attorney general.
Donovan is a Democrat who serves as state’s attorney in Chittenden County. He is running against Deb Bucknam, a Republican who works in a private practice in the Northeast Kingdom.
Miro Weinberger, the mayor of Burlington, praised Donovan’s work as Chittenden County State’s Attorney focusing on social justice as much as public safety.
Weinberger pointed to work Donovan did with the city, the HowardCenter, and the University of Vermont Medical Center to speed up treatment for people suffering from addiction.
Liz Gamache, the mayor of St. Albans, called Donovan “a systems thinker (who) is able to bring folks together for a community approach that is meaningful.”
Barre Mayor Thom Lauzon said he identifies as a Republican and that Bucknam “is a fine person” but will still support Donovan.
“It just can’t be about party affiliation with all the problems in this state,” he said. “I took an oath as the mayor of Barre. I didn’t take an oath as a Republican.”
Donovan said he was “honored” to have the endorsement of mayors of different parties. He said their jobs are similar to being a prosecutor: “They’re problem-solving jobs. They’re not partisan jobs. … For me it’s about solving problems.”
Those problems include opioid addiction, implicit bias in policing, a lack of community policing, and a lack of public trust in law enforcement, he said.
The Vermont Mayors Coalition was created in 2013 to lobby for the needs of cities. They previously endorsed Gov. Peter Shumlin, but they said they do not plan to endorse any other statewide candidates this year
Donovan is popular among both Republicans and Democrats, and Vermont Public Radio’s poll showed him leading the race with 54 percent of likely voters supporting him compared to 12 percent behind Bucknam.
Donovan said he wants to be an accessible attorney general, and the people of Vermont would hold him accountable.
