BURLINGTON — Karen Paul formally jumped into the race to be the next Burlington mayor on Thursday afternoon, saying she is “optimistic” that the city can overcome its challenges.
“I am fired up and ready to take on all of our challenges at this pivotal time in our city’s history,” Paul said.
Paul becomes the first Democrat to formally enter the mayoral race. State Rep. Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, running as a Progressive, announced her campaign on Oct. 16. More candidates are expected to emerge following Mayor Miro Weinberger’s decision to not seek a fifth term in office.
Paul, born and raised in Burlington, spoke of her family’s history in the city government. Her late father, Allan Paul, once served on the city’s Board of Aldermen, a precursor to the City Council. She recalled seeing her father leave the house after dinner on Monday nights.
“And when I asked him where he was going, he would always say, ‘I’m going to do my part for Burlington,’” Paul recalled. Pointing to a decade and a half of public service, Paul said she was a “joyful recipient” of her parent’s legacy.
Paul was first elected to the City Council in 2008. She was picked by the council to serve as its president in April 2022.
Speaking of the city’s current challenges, Paul pointed to a recent council resolution that she introduced declaring the drug crisis as the city’s top priority. While she said her record on harm reduction policies to address substance use disorder is “unequivocal,” she also said that “we also want our greater community to be safe and right now we know that many of the people who live in our city do not feel that sense of safety.”
She called the “unprecedented” increase in crime a “psychological erosion” felt by residents and businesses.
“It is well understood that if the public behavior we are seeing today is allowed to continue it will become the norm and that is quite simply unacceptable, so I am running for mayor to change that,” Paul said.
Inside a tent at the top of Church Street, Paul was joined by her husband, Mark Saba, and three children. Also present at the event were former Gov. Howard Dean, Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden Central and City Councilor Sarah Carpenter, D-Ward 4, who all endorsed Paul.
“Karen Paul is the woman of this particular moment,” Baruth said. “I trust her to lead the city I love and where she leads, I will follow.”
Dean, a Burlington resident, said that the problems faced by the city “are problems that can’t be solved unless you have somebody who can pull the city together” and argued that Paul would be that person.
Paul said in an interview following the event that she isn’t sure yet what the Democratic field will look like heading into the caucus, which is expected in December.
“I will approach this race as I’ve approached every race that I have run, and that is, I’m a positive person, I’m going to talk about the things that I’ve done. I’m going to talk about the record that I have and it’s going to be issues based,” Paul said.
Another Democratic city councilor is said to be considering a run for mayor. Joan Shannon, D-South District, previously told VTDigger she is considering it, but hadn’t made a decision. In an email sent this week to supporters that VTDigger obtained, Shannon wrote, “I now find myself considering if the skills that I have are the skills Burlington needs at this moment.” Shannon said she would finalize her decision “in the coming days.”
