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Gordon Paquette

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American politician
Gordon Paquette
36th Mayor of Burlington
In office
April 5, 1971 – April 6, 1981
Preceded byFrancis J. Cain
Succeeded byBernie Sanders
Personal details
Born(1916-11-25)November 25, 1916
Burlington, Vermont, U.S.
DiedMarch 15, 1995(1995-03-15) (aged 78)
Burlington, Vermont, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMary Hallihan
Children5

Gordon H. Paquette (November 25, 1916 – March 15, 1995) was an American politician who served as the 36th Mayor of Burlington, Vermont from 1971 to 1981, when he was defeated by future United States Senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in the latter's first electoral victory.

Early life

Gordon Paquette was born in Burlington, Vermont, on November 25, 1916. He married Mary Hallihan, with whom he had five children, on February 19, 1945.

Paquette worked at a grocery store at age 11. He heard that the owner was going to sell the store and convinced his father to buy it so that he could maintain his job. Paquette worked for Girard Baking and rose from a truck driver to manager. Fassett's Bakery acquired Girard Baking in 1968, and Paquette remained in the company as an executive until 1975.

Early political career

In 1958, Paquette was elected as an alderman from Burlington's Second Ward after defeating four-term incumbent Gordon Perkins. During the 1968 presidential election, Paquette supported Hubert Humphrey after Lyndon B. Johnson had dropped out following the New Hampshire primary and supported giving Humphrey the majority of Burlington's 82 delegates at the state's Democratic nominating convention.

In 1971, Paquette defeated Frank Dion and was elected mayor and would not face any significant opposition for another decade. In 1972 Paquette spent two days lobbying Representatives and Senators to vote to approve federal revenue sharing which was successful. Following the defeat of a proposal to increase a tax rate by 48 cents in 1976, Paquette and the Finance Board extended a hiring freeze. The city's budget was under threat of not being funded after the federal government reduced its revenue sharing to Burlington by $700,000 despite calls to increase it to $1.3 million.

Paquette declined to run for the Democratic nomination in the 1978 gubernatorial election.

1981 mayoral campaign

In 1981, incumbent Democratic Party mayor Gordon Paquette decided to run for re-election to a fifth term with his main opposition being independent socialist activist Bernie Sanders who had run for Senator and Governor twice before (losing all four elections), and businessman Richard Bove, with both being independents, as the Republican party saw Paquette was unobjectionable to them and chose to not run a candidate. Paquette's popularity declined due to his support of a 65 cent tax increase and opposition to a ballot vote on a fair housing committee. In a four-way race, Paquette lost to Sanders by twenty-two votes and a recount was ordered, after which the margin shrank to ten votes. Before 1981, Paquette had never lost a city election and had never lost a single ward while running for mayor. Following his defeat, he announced that he would only govern as an acting mayor and would only take action when it was demanded.

Later life

Paquette died on March 15, 1995, after a short illness in the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont.

References

  1. ^ "Burlington's ex-mayor dies". Brattleboro Reformer. March 17, 1995. p. 3. Archived from the original on May 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Paquette". Burlington Free Press. February 19, 1970. p. 13. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Polumbaum, Judy (January 27, 1979). "Surprise! Paquette Running for a Fifth Term". Rutland Herald. p. 13. Archived from the original on May 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Burlington Bonds Fail". Rutland Daily Herald. March 5, 1958. p. 9. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Gordon Paquette". The Burlington Free Press. March 16, 1995. p. 10. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "City Democrats Face Bitter Battle Over Delegate Naming". The Burlington Free Press. April 24, 1968. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "PAQUETTE: Former mayor dies; 78". The Burlington Free Press. March 16, 1995. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. Abbey, Alan (February 22, 1981). "Mayor Wants to Finish What's Begun". The Burlington Free Press. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. McCahill, Margaret (June 14, 1976). "Board To Consider Hiring Freeze Extension". The Burlington Free Press. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. McCahill, Margaret (June 14, 1976). "City Budget To Be Voted By Aldermen". The Burlington Free Press. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Paquette Resists 'Pressure' To Run For Governor This Year". Barre Montpelier Times Argus. February 24, 1978. p. 9. Archived from the original on May 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. Clendinen, Dudley (February 28, 1982). "It's New Politics vs. Old in Vermont As Mayor Strives to Oust Aldermen". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 9, 2018.
  13. Page, Candace (March 8, 1981). "Paquette May Not Have Changed With Changing City". Rutland Daily Herald – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Sanders pulls off upset in Burlington". Bennington banner. March 4, 1981 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. Bookchin, Debbie (April 5, 1981). "Burlington Guard Changes Monday". Rutland Daily Herald. p. 7. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Ex-Mayor Gordon Paquette Dies". Rutland Herald. March 16, 1995. p. 6. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
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