BURLINGTON — CD Mattison became the fourth woman to officially join the race to be the next mayor of Burlington on Monday, announcing her candidacy at an event in front of City Hall.
Early in her speech, Mattison called attention to the cold temperatures as supporters, reporters and bystanders watched on Church Street.
“I can’t help but feel the same anticipation that stirs the air before the snow falls. It’s a signal, isn’t it? A call to change, to transformation, to transition,” Mattison said. “And that’s why I’m here with you.”
Mattison is so far the third Democrat to jump into the race. City councilors Joan Shannon and Karen Paul both declared their candidacies in recent weeks. On the Progressive side, state Rep. Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, P-Burlington, was the first entrant to the mayoral contest. Mayor Miro Weinberger announced in September that he would not run for a fifth term.
A South End resident, Mattison works as a tech consultant and nonprofit director. She has not previously run for public office — a point she focused on as she sought to draw distinctions between her experience and that of her rivals.
“I stand before you not as a longtime politician, endorsed by other longtime politicians, but as one of you rooted in the real experiences and challenges we face every day,” Mattison said.
Answering questions following her announcement, Mattison spoke confidently about her status outside of the establishment, alluding to those, like Shannon and Paul, who have been in office for “15 to 20 years.” She continued, “And yet, here we are.”
Mattison also acknowledged the challenge of running against Shannon and Paul, both of whom have prior experience running in Democratic caucuses during their time on the council. Mattison said she’s pinning her hopes on bringing in new voters to the Dec. 10 Democratic caucus. (The general election is scheduled for Town Meeting Day next March.)
“Because here’s the thing, if you wait until March, you actually don’t get a choice as to who your mayor is going to be. If you actually want to have a choice and you don’t want to forfeit your vote, then you must show up for the caucus,” she said.
Mattison does have some experience in city government. In 2019 she was named to a commission to review policing policies, an experience she described during her announcement Monday.
“I came in with a sense of hope and civic pride and it quickly became apparent that there was no real work to be done,” Mattison said of her time on the commission. “We would be going through the motions because they already had their answer on the table. I was just a formality and a face. I left that commission within the first few meetings because I would not be party to that.”
While Mattison announced her run in front of the steps to City Hall, she acknowledged another press conference taking place simultaneously at the Burlington Police Department about overnight shootings that left two men dead and an act of suspected arson inside the police building.
Mattison said “our city is in crisis and we’re still waiting for comprehensive solutions.”
Addressing how she would address the city’s challenges with substance use disorder, she said “it’s going to take a balance of both” harm reduction and public safety initiatives. She also pushed for a regional approach to the housing affordability crisis and said she would work to support “forward thinking” businesses headquartered in the city.
She said her overall approach would be to listen.
“Unlike my experience in the commission, I’m not coming to the table with all of the solutions predetermined,” Mattison said. “My first step is to listen to you.”
