Linda Joy Sullivan won a special election for Newport mayor Tuesday, with nearly 70% of the vote — despite only a month of campaigning and criticism from her opponents that she had only lived in the city for a year.
Sullivan, a former state representative for the Bennington-Rutland district and a certified public accountant, received 388 out of 566 votes cast, according to the city clerk’s office. Fellow candidates Roderick Owens and Carl King won 130 votes and 47 votes respectively, with one write-in vote.
Throughout her campaign, Sullivan emphasized her track record in the Vermont Legislature, her relationships with state officials in Montpelier and her educational background, which include a certified public accounting license and master’s degrees in law and business administration. Earlier this year, Gov. Phil Scott appointed her to the board of commissioners of the Vermont State Housing Authority.
Sullivan ran for state auditor in 2020, losing to incumbent Doug Hoffer in the Democratic primary by a margin of 59 to 40%.
Newport’s mayorship has been vacant since Beth Barnes’ abrupt resignation in May, which brought to the fore long-simmering tensions between the city government and members of the community.
In a written statement to VTDigger, Sullivan said, “There’s a lot at stake in the coming few years in terms of how we choose to develop the very clear potential this City has as a destination for visitors and businesses alike. I look forward to dedicating myself to the work ahead and encourage everyone to join in the effort.”
“The city sent a very strong message,” said Pam Ladds, a longtime resident who regularly attends City Council meetings.
“We’ve got somebody now who has a lot of experience, who is not going to be intimidated, who can look at things like the budget, which we know is a mess, and really make sense of it,” Ladds said. “A lot of the anger previously was because there was no explanation for what we were seeing. She’s got the ability and the language to translate that for us.”
Sullivan is expected to serve out the remaining 19 months of the mayor’s term, until March 2025.
