Peter Clavelle

Who is Peter Clavelle?

Peter A. Clavelle is a Vermont politician and former mayor of Burlington. He was first elected mayor in 1989, serving seven terms. Prior to his election, he was a community development consultant and public official, serving, among other positions, as Director of Community and Economic Development in the administration of then-Mayor Bernie Sanders. Clavelle was elected mayor in 1989 as a Progressive. He remained in office until 1993 when he lost his re-election bid after giving domestic partners of city employees full benefits. Clavelle returned to the mayors office two years later in 1995 continuing to hold the position until 2006. In 2004, he ran for Governor as a Democrat against incumbent Governor Jim Douglas and four other candidates. In order to run in the Democratic Party primary Clavelle had to change party affiliation as required by state law. Despite some initial buzz and the endorsement of five-term former Democratic Governor Howard Dean, he was defeated, 38% to 59%. Clavelle did not seek re-election to an eighth term as mayor in 2006.

See Vermont gubernatorial election, 2004.

In 2012 Clavelle moved to Albania as a staff member on a USAID-funded local governance project.