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The Vermont Progressive Party, formerly the Progressive Coalition and Independent Coalition, is a political party in the United States that is active in Vermont. It is the third-largest political party in Vermont behind the Democratic and Republican parties. As of 2023, the party has one member in the Vermont Senate and five members in the Vermont House of Representatives, as well as several more affiliated legislators who caucus with the Democratic Party. The last time a third-party had members elected to the state legislature in Vermont since James Lawson of the Socialist Party of America in 1917. History Background William H. Meyer, a member of the Democratic Party, was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Vermont's at-large congressional district after defeating Republican nominee Harold J. Arthur in the 1958 election. Meyer's victory was the first time since the 1853 election that the Republicans had lost a statewide election in Vermont. Meyer was the most left-wing member of Congress from 1937 to 2002, according to Keith T. Poole. He lost reelection in the 1960 election against Republican nominee Robert Stafford. Meyer formed the Liberty Union Party at a meeting in his home with Peter Diamondstone, Dennis Morrisseau, and twenty other people on June 27, 1970. Martha Abbott, a future chair of the Vermont Progressive Party, was one of the members of the Liberty Union Party's founding meeting. Bernie Sanders joined the party in 1971, and was selected to serve as the party's candidate for a Senatorial special election at his first meeting. During his time in the party Sanders also ran for United States Senate in the 1974 election and for Governor in the 1972 and 1976 elecitons. Sanders left the party on October 11, 1977. Progressive Coalition Sanders Sanders announced on November 8, 1980, that he would run for mayor of Burlington, Vermont, in the 1981 election and formally announced his campaign on December 16, at a press conference in city hall. Sanders had been convinced to run for the mayoralty by Richard Sugarman, an Orthodox Jewish scholar at the University of Vermont, had shown Sanders a ward-by-ward breakdown of the 1976 gubernatorial election which showed Sanders receiving 12% of the vote in Burlington despite only getting 6% statewide. Sanders defeated incumbent Democratic Mayor Gordon Paquette by ten votes in the election. Sanders was reelected as mayor in the 1983, 1985, and 1987 elections. During his mayoral campaign Sanders formed the Independent Coalition which according to Richard Sartelle was to bring working people, students, college faculty, union members, and all independent-minded citizens together. Sartelle ran with the support of the Independent Coalition for a seat on the city council from the 4th district, but was defeated by the Republican nominee. The Citizens Party attempted to have Greg Guma run with their nomination for mayor in 1981, but Guma declined as it would be "difficult to run against another progressive candidate" and the party instead endorsed Sanders. Terry Bouricius, a member of the Citizens Party, was elected to the city council from the 2nd district becoming the first member of the party elected to office in Vermont. Following his victory in the 1981 election Sanders faced difficulties with the city council due to eleven of the thirteen members of the board of alderman opposing Sanders. The council would oppose measures proposed by Sanders and override his vetoes on legislation. Bouricius and Sadie White were the only members of the city council aligned with Sanders. During the 1982 elections Sanders endorsed Citizens nominees Richard Musty and Zoe Breiner, and independent candidate Gary DeCarolis for city council and all of them won causing the council to have five pro-Sanders members, five Republican members, and three Democratic members. However, the Republicans and Democratic members of the city council united to select Robert Paterson, a Republican, as president of the city council instead of Sadie White, a Sanders supporter, by a vote of eight to five after six ballots and to prevent the pro-Sanders members of the city council from receiving positions. Sanders stated that "Probably the Democrats feel more comfortable dealing with the Republicans than with us". DeCarolis asked for members of the media to referred to him and other pro-Sanders members of the city council as the Progressive Coalition rather than as just Sanders supporters. An organizational meeting for Progressive Coalition, which was attended by over 100 people, was held on November 10, 1983. The Progressive Coalition was not a political party, but an organization that gave out endorsements. During the 1984 elections the Citizens Party only ran one candidate under its name and instead endorsed the Progressive Coalition candidates. Bouricius stated that the Citizens Party was the core of the coalition, but that the coalition was being built broader than the Citizens Party. The Progressive Coalition gained one seat from the Democratic Party during the 1984 city council elections bringing the composition of the city council to six Progressive members, five Republican members, and two Democratic members. The Citizens Party of Vermont disbanded in 1986. The Progressive Coalition supported Jesse Jackson during the 1984 Democratic presidential primaries and later supported Walter Mondale in the presidential election. Bouricius was selected to serve as president of the city council after thirty-one ballots and served until 1985. Bouricius was the only member of the Progressive Coalition to serve as president during Sanders' administration. After the 1985 elections William Skelton, a Republican member of the city council, was selected to serve as president of the city council against the Progressive-backed Zoe Breiner as Bouricius had dropped out. Clavelle The Vermont Progressive Alliance was formed by members of the Progressive Coalition and Rainbow Coalition on May 19, 1990, at Montpelier High School and inspired by the New Democratic Party. The organization endorsed ten independent candidates for seats in the state legislature in the 1990 election. Terry Bouricius and Tom Smith, who were endorsed by the organization, were elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in the 1990 election becoming the first member of the Progressive Coalition to do so. The Vermont Organizing Committee was formed by the organization in 1992. The Franklin County Independent Coalition was also formed in 1990, to support Sanders' campaign for a seat in the United States House of Representatives during the 1990 election. The organization was founded by independent candidates for seats in the state house and Neil Bean, who was an independent member of the St. Albans city council and also grew out of Jeff Weaver's campaign for mayor of St. Albans and Jerry Colby's 1988 and 1990 campaigns for a seat in the Vermont Senate. The Progressives regained control.... Discover the Stephanie Decarolis popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Stephanie Decarolis books.