Emma Mulvaney-Stanak is an American politician, and the current mayor of Burlington, Vermont. Previously, she was a member in the Vermont House of Representatives, representing the Chittenden 6-2 and 17 districts as a member of the Vermont Progressive Party. Prior to her tenure in the state house she was on the city council in Burlington, Vermont and chair of the Vermont Progressive Party.
Emma Mulvaney-Stanak | |
|---|---|
 Mulvaney-Stanak in 2024 | |
| 43rd Mayor of Burlington | |
| Assumed office April 1, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Miro Weinberger |
| Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from the Chittenden-17 district | |
| In office January 2021 – April 1, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Jean O'Sullivan |
| Succeeded by | Abbey Duke |
| Chair of the Vermont Progressive Party | |
| In office November 10, 2013 – June 9, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Martha Abbott |
| Succeeded by | Anthony Pollina (acting) |
| Member of the Burlington City Council | |
| In office 2010–2012 | |
| Preceded by | Clarence Davis |
| Succeeded by | Rachel Siegel |
| Constituency | 3rd district |
| In office 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Jane Knodell |
| Succeeded by | Bram Kranichfeld |
| Constituency | 2nd district |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Vermont Progressive |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic |
| Spouse | Megan Moir |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Smith College (BA) |
Mulvaney-Stanak was educated at Smith College. She became involved in politics when she was director of the Vermont Living Wage Campaign and as field director for Scudder Parker's gubernatorial campaign during the 2006 election.
Mulvaney-Stanak was elected to the Burlington city council in 2009, but had to resign due to her moving. She won election to the city council in 2010, and at one point she was the only Progressive member of the city council. She was selected to be chair of the Progressive Party and held that position until 2017. She defeated incumbent state representative Jean O'Sullivan for the Democratic nomination for a seat in the state house and won in the 2020 election.
In 2023, Mulvaney-Stanak announced she would run for the mayorship of Burlington in the following year's election. She won the election by just over 6 points and assumed office on April 1, 2024.[1] She is the first Progressive to serve as mayor of Burlington since 2012, when Bob Kiss left office, and the first woman and openly LGBT person to serve as mayor in the city's history.
Early life and education
editEmma Mulvaney-Stanak and her twin were born to Ed Stanak, who later ran for Vermont Attorney General with the Vermont Progressive Party's nomination in 2012, and Joelen Mulvaney.[2] Mulvaney-Stanak graduated from Smith College with a degree in political science. She married Megan Moir, with whom she has two children.[3][4][5][6]
Career
editLocal and state politics
editMulvaney-Stanak was director of the Vermont Living Wage Campaign.[7] She worked as field director for Scudder Parker's gubernatorial campaign during the 2006 election.[5]
Mulvaney-Stanak was elected to succeed Jane Knodell, a member of the Progressive Party, on the city council from the 2nd district in Burlington, Vermont, with the nomination of the Progressive Party against Democratic nominee Nicole Pelletier. However, she resigned from the city council on December 15, 2009, due to her moving from the 2nd district to the 3rd district which the city charter required her to resign for.[8] Democratic nominee Bram Kranichfeld won election to the city council from the 2nd district in the 2010 election.[9]
Clarence Davis, a member of the Progressive Party, did not seek reelection to the city council from the 3rd district in the 2010 election. Mulvaney-Stanak won in the 2010 election without opposition.[10][9][11] She was the only Progressive member of the fourteen-member city council following the resignation of Marisa Caldwell in 2010, which was the lowest amount for the party since 1981.[12][13] She did not seek reelection in the 2012 election.[14] Rachel Siegel was elected to succeed her in the 2012 election.[15]
Mulvaney-Stanak was selected to be secretary of the Vermont Progressive Party in April 2013. Martha Abbott did not seek reelection as chair of the Vermont Progressive Party. Mulvaney-Stanak was selected to be chair of the party on November 10, 2013, and was reelected in 2015. She resigned as chair on June 9, 2017, to focus on her job working for the Vermont-National Education Association and Anthony Pollina was selected to be interim chair.[16][17][18][19]
Vermont House of Representatives
editMulvaney-Stanak ran for the Progressive and Democratic nomination for a seat in the Vermont House of Representatives from the Chittenden-6-2 district during the 2020 election. She defeated incumbent Democratic Representative Jean O'Sullivan in the Democratic primary and won in the general election without opposition. During the primary O'Sullivan claimed that Mulvaney-Stanak wasn't a real Democrat.[20][21][22][23]
In 2020, Mulvaney-Stanak was selected by a unanimous vote of seven to be assistant chair of the Vermont Progressive Party's caucus in the state house.[24] She was selected to become the caucus' leader on November 21, 2023, with Taylor Small replacing her as assistant leader.[25]
Mayoralty
editOn October 16, 2023, Mulvaney-Stanak announced her run for mayor of Burlington following Mayor Miro Weinberger stepping down.[26] On March 5, 2024, she won the election by almost 1,000 votes, beating Democratic nominee, Joan Shannon, and assumed the mayoral office on April 1, 2024.[1] Mulvaney-Stanak is the first woman to be mayor of Burlington, as well as the first open member of the LGBTQ+ community to assume the position.[27]
In June 2024, Mulvaney-Stanak was criticized for being the beneficiary of a special food drive which provides her and her family free weekly dinners.[6][28]
Mulvaney-Stanak appointed public defender Jessica Brown to serve as city attorney, a position which was vacant for two years.[29]
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive | Emma Mulvaney-Stanak | 643 | 93.05% | ||
| Independent | Write-ins | 48 | 6.95% | ||
| Total votes | 691 | 100.00% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Emma Mulvaney-Stanak | 728 | 57.64% | ||
| Democratic | Jean O'Sullivan (incumbent) | 527 | 41.73% | ||
| Democratic | Write-in | 8 | 0.48% | ||
| Total votes | 1,263 | 100.00% | |||
| Blank | 105 | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive | Emma Mulvaney-Stanak | ||||
| Democratic | Emma Mulvaney-Stanak | ||||
| Total | Emma Mulvaney-Stanak | 2,223 | 96.53% | ||
| Independent | Write-in | 80 | 3.47% | ||
| Total votes | 2,303 | 100.00% | |||
| Blank | 587 | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive | Emma Mulvaney-Stanak | 7,612 | 51.4% | ||
| Democratic | Joan Shannon | 6,696 | 45.2% | ||
| Independent | Will Emmons | 273 | 1.8% | ||
| Independent | Chris Haessly | 205 | 1.4% | ||
| Total votes | 14,786 | 100.00% | |||
References
edit- ^ a b "Emma Mulvaney-Stanak elected mayor of Burlington". Vermont Public. March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ "The Mulvaney-Stanaks: A Family Divided Over a Vermont Election". Seven Days. November 7, 2016. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.
- ^ "Election results 'make room' for new leaders in the Progressive Party". Vermont Digger. December 6, 2020. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.
- ^ "Representative Emma Mulvaney-Stanak". Vermont General Assembly. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.
- ^ a b "Emma Mulvaney-Stanak". The Burlington Free Press. February 20, 2009. p. 7. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Huntley, Katharine (June 12, 2024). "Burlington mayor defends her family's 'Meal Train,' says it does not violate ethics policy". WCAX-TV. Archived from the original on June 14, 2024.
- ^ "Aides: Asking for liveable wages". Rutland Herald. July 19, 2003. p. 7. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Progressive to Step Down from Burlington City Council". Seven Days. December 1, 2009. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.
- ^ a b "Councilor Calls for Mayor Bob Kiss to Resign". Seven Days. March 3, 2010. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.
- ^ "Two-Term Progressive Councilor Won't Seek Reelection". Seven Days. January 24, 2010. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.
- ^ a b "Official Results Of 2010 Annual City Election" (PDF). Burlington, Vermont. March 2, 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 10, 2021.
- ^ "Caldwell: Ward 3 councilor resigns effective this weekend". The Burlington Free Press. July 31, 2010. p. 13. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ward 3 comes down to write-ins". The Burlington Free Press. November 3, 2010. p. 15. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mulvaney-Stanak will not be seeking re-election to Burlington City Council". Vermont Digger. January 12, 2012. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.
- ^ "Unofficial Results of 2012 Annual City Election" (PDF). Burlington, Vermont. March 6, 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 10, 2021.
- ^ "Vermont Democrats re-elect Deans as party chair". Vermont Digger. November 4, 2013. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.
- ^ "Progressives elect Mulvaney-Stanak chair, outline agenda". Vermont Digger. November 10, 2013. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.
- ^ "Progressive Party State Chair Steps Down". Vermont Digger. June 9, 2017. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.
- ^ "Mulvaney-Stanak Resigns Vermont Progressive Party Chairmanship". Seven Days. June 9, 2017. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.
- ^ "Emma Mulvaney-Stanak Announces Bid for Vermont House". Seven Days. May 15, 2020. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.
- ^ "Dems reluctant to give full voter data access to Zuckerman's campaign". Vermont Digger. August 21, 2020. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.
- ^ a b "2020 State Representative Democratic Primary". Secretary of State of Vermont. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021.
- ^ a b "2020 State Representative General Election". Secretary of State of Vermont. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021.
- ^ "Vermont House Progressive caucus elects all women leadership team". Vermont Digger. December 22, 2020. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021.
- ^ McCallum, Kevin (November 23, 2023). "Why Is the Progressive Party Losing Its Luster in Montpelier?". Seven Days. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023.
- ^ Lamdin, Courtney. "Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger Won't Seek Reelection". Seven Days. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ^ "Emma Mulvaney-Stanak elected mayor of Burlington, 1st woman to lead the city". vtdigger. March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ "Burlington mayor gets free meals". VermontBiz. June 11, 2024. Archived from the original on June 14, 2024.
- ^ McGuire, Jack (July 10, 2024). "Jessica Brown Appointed as Burlington City Attorney". Seven Days. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024.