Citing a winter storm that was just letting up as the meeting at the Robert Miller Community Center was starting, Burlington GOP Chair Paco DeFrancis said there weren’t enough committee members present to make a quorum. The caucus is rescheduled for Wednesday.
DeFrancis quickly worked through a few slides presenting the GOP platform, which he said mirrored many of the ideas in Republican Gov. Phil Scott’s recent State of the State address.
The platform, which will be voted on and likely adopted Wednesday, centers on making Burlington more affordable, creating job opportunities, investing in city infrastructure and battling the opioid crisis. The Burlington GOP wants to be a “pro-growth” party, DeFrancis said, a moniker that is shared with the Democratic incumbent developer-turned-mayor, Miro Weinberger.
“We want to make sure we keep a pro-growth label as well, rather than just allowing it for the mayor’s administration and some Democrats,” DeFrancis said.
In one of the few American cities with a true three-party system, Republicans face an uphill battle. Democrats turned out about 250 people during their caucus earlier this month, and Progressives had about 200 at their caucus in December. Both parties managed to put up candidates for most of the eight City Council seats up for election and endorsed mayoral candidates
One of the biggest challenges is the changing demographics in the New North End, a longtime GOP stronghold. More young families are moving in thanks to an active and affordable housing market, and Burlington’s other two parties have likely captured those votes, he said.
“The Progressive and Democratic parties have beaten us to it,” DeFrancis said. “We can’t take Wards 4 and 7 for granted as we did in the past.”
Another headwind for Burlington Republicans is the national Republican Party, which controls both houses of Congress and the White House, promoting policies that remain deeply unpopular in liberal Vermont.
“It’s difficult to say the least,” DeFrancis said.
Four City Council candidates turned out Saturday, two of whom said they are running as Republicans. Longtime Republican City Councilor Kurt Wright, who is also a state representative, is seeking re-election to his Ward 4 seat. Political newcomer Joel FitzGerald, who works at the University of Vermont as an athletic facilities operations manager, will run as a Republican for the Ward 6 council seat.
“Problems don’t seem to get fixed,” FitzGerald said. “I’m a guy who’s been sitting here for 20 years. I want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.”
FitzGerald faces Karen Paul, the Democratic Ward 6 incumbent, and activist Charles Simpson, who won the Progressive endorsement for Ward 6 in November.
Independent Ward 3 candidate Jim Lockridge, executive director of the music incubator Big Heavy World, also addressed the gathering Saturday. Lockridge is in a three-way race with Democrat Lizzie Haskell, who is a recent UVM graduate, and former City Councilor Brian Pine, who won the Progressive endorsement. The Ward 3 seat will be open after incumbent Sara Moore announced she won’t seek re-election.
Ward 7 Councilor Ali Dieng, a Democrat/Progressive, also spoke to the Republicans on Saturday.
Wright, one of the longest-serving councilors, said his success as a Republican in a liberal city comes from decades of experience, a willingness to compromise and a steady voice.
“People see me as a common-sense voice of reason on the council, and I very much appreciate that characterization,” he said.
Wright, who has run for Burlington mayor several times, most recently in 2012 against Weinberger, said several people have approached him to run again.
“I might have considered it, had I not already ran so many times already,” Wright said.
The political winds may have been favorable to a Republican candidate this year, Wright said, with a strong progressive-leaning candidate in independent Carina Driscoll pulling votes from Weinberger’s left. But Wright said that being the only Republican on the council creates some balance on that panel. This year may be the first time in seven terms on the council that Wright will run uncontested, he said.
Burlington Republicans are not planning to field a mayoral candidate, DeFrancis said, though someone could throw their hat in the ring Wednesday. Democrats endorsed Weinberger, and Progressives endorsed Driscoll over Infinite Culcleasure, a longtime community organizer who is also running as an independent.
Voters go to the polls to select a mayor and councilors from all eight city wards on Town Meeting Day, which falls on March 6.
