BURLINGTON — Carina Driscoll says she is interested in combining forces with fellow independent mayoral candidate Infinite Culcleasure in a joint effort to unseat incumbent Mayor Miro Weinberger.
“I think there is a ton of overlap and shared common ground with who we want to represent and the work we want to do,” Driscoll said in an interview on Tuesday. “I don’t know what that would look like, but I am hopeful that it’s something we can figure out.”
Driscoll, a former state representative and city councilor, said both campaigns were getting feedback on the idea. She said they both were “asking other people what they think about what is possible.”
The math could prove difficult on election day should Culcleasure and Driscoll split an overlapping constituency, she said.
In recent weeks prospects of a partnership between the two independent candidates have emerged. The idea was first publicly floated in a recent Seven Days cover story profiling the three candidates.
Culcleasure, who did not immediately return a message seeking comment, told Seven Days he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of joining with Driscoll. But he said the final decision will be made after consulting his campaign team.
During a recent mayoral forum, the two candidates found themselves on the same side of issues more often than not, and both chose to train their fire on Weinberger.
Even together, the independents would be far behind Weinberger in the fundraising fight. The mayor has raised $80,773.69 for his re-election campaign from 363 contributors and has spent $57,164.01, according to campaign finance reports that were made public this week.
Driscoll has raised $32,921.42, and spent $23,029.47. The money has come from 191 contributors. Culcleasure raised $4,862 and has spent about half, $2,307.
Weinberger has proven to be popular with the pro-development crowd — four members of the influential Pomerleau family gave $1,000 each to Weinberger, among other major Chittenden County developers.
Other notables include Samantha Power, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Weinberger’s classmate at Yale, who gave $500, the journalist and author Garrett Graff, who gave $1,000, and David Blittersdorf, the president of AllEarth Solar, who gave $250.
Weinberger, a Democrat, has used a political action committee, called the Partnership for Burlington’s Future, in previous years to help whip up support for various ballot items, but has said he has no plans to use the PAC during this campaign cycle.
“That PAC was focused on ballot items, and I’m really focused on my re-election this round,” Weinberger said.
Driscoll will be getting some help from her stepfather’s national political outfit Our Revolution which endorsed Driscoll last month. An email sent from Our Revolution president Nina Turner Tuesday morning asks for a $5 contribution to Driscoll’s campaign.
“With your support, we can elect a true progressive champion who will put people first as Burlington mayor,” Turner wrote to supporters.
Driscoll, who said her campaign is not coordinating with Our Revolution, said she is not banking on the support from the organization and is focusing on the local campaign. Driscoll has financial support from Sanders’ circle, including Jeff Weaver, a longtime Sanders associate who has recently taken the role of spokesman for the Sanders family.
Driscoll’s mother, Jane O’Meara Sanders, and her siblings, David and Nicole Driscoll, all donated $1,000.
Culcleasure’s donors include Genese Grill, who made an unsuccessful bid for the Central District City Council seat against incumbent Progressive Jane Knodell last year, and gave Culcleasure $1,000.
