Bernie Sanders is one of our country’s most famous senators. He’s run for president, has stood up to oligarchs, and even become a mitten-wearing meme.
But before all that, he was Mayor Sanders of Burlington. He was the Queen City's mayor from 1981 to 1989.
A new book, Bernie for Burlington: The Rise of the People's Politician, covers that pivotal time of change for Sanders and his city. The author, poet and professor Dan Chiasson is a Burlington native. He weaves in many personal reflections about his hometown into his narrative.
Phoenix Books will host a book launch and community celebration at 7 pm on Tuesday, Feb. 3, in Contois Auditorium in Burlington City Hall. Chiasson will be in conversation with Vermont author Chris Bohjalian and special guests Alison Bechdel and Jym Wilson.
During the show, we received many emails from listeners sharing their memories of Sanders. Here are some of those emails, lightly edited:
Peter Gould in Brattleboro: When Bernie was the Mayor of Burlington, my theater duet team, Gould & Stearns, were touring our two-man political play about the war in El Salvador, all over the U.S. Bernie invited us to perform on the stage in City Hall. We were about half-set up when Bernie led us all up Church Street to an Anti-War Solidarity/Sanctuary Pot Luck dinner in the church basement. Stearns and I ate quickly and then hurried back down to City Hall to finish setting up. The big doors were locked! No one was there! I ran back up Church Street, tapped Bernie (still eating) on his shoulder. "Bernie, City Hall is locked!" Bernie stood up, reached into his back pocket, flipped me the keys to City Hall, and said, "We'll be there soon." The show went on.
Megan: I believe that Burlington’s City government had become complacent when Bernie came along to run for Mayor. By only a 10 vote margin, I think that Bernie and his remarkable staff went on to create a myriad of positive programs and impacts to make our wonderful city even better.
Theodore: I remember the time when I was working at the Merchants Bank on Church Street and lived in Burlington. This was when Gordon Paquette was mayor. Later in the morning, Mayor Paquette would be at Nectar’s with his crew and Bernie and his crew would be a few doors down Main Street at the table in the window of La Patisserie. Those were the two main political centers in Burlington.
Steve: I moved to Burlington in winter 1984 because Bernie had won his second term as mayor that previous fall. A job opened at Vermont Legal Aid and I moved up from Westchester, NY. I was stoked to find out that Legal Aid's Burlington and Montpelier offices shared a summer slow-pitch coed softball team that played against other nonprofits and work-related teams. Our first game that spring was against City Hall, with Bernie their captain pitching. When we gathered for the game, City Hall was one player short but Legal Aid had multiple extras. As the new guy, I went over to them, and Bernie said "Play anywhere," so I promptly grabbed shortstop. Mid-game, we were ahead by a couple of runs but Legal Aid had two on and no outs. A big hitter rocketed a hard liner just past Bernie's right hip. I jumped left and had it lined up—the runners held— but Bernie the lefty flinched at it with his glove deflecting it back behind me—they took off— but I dove back and just picked it a foot off the grass. From my butt, I threw to first for two outs and got up and over to second for the third out. That runner had turned toward home. Bernie's still got an assist on that scorecard! I figured I'd made the right move.
Ira: Running into Bernie seems to be a common occurrence for many Vermonters, and there is something really special about it, especially since his presidential run. The common refrain I use is “Hey Bernie, thanks for your service.” Whether it’s when rounding the corner onto Church Street, or in Costco where my friend recently saw him, it’s always a happy sight. Thanks Bernie for your consistent message for equal rights and economic justice for the people.
William: I’m a diehard Vermont resident and Bernie proponent. My wife is not. She graduated from Wellesley College and embraces Hillary Clinton, another Wellesley alum.
Toby: I was attending art school in Florida in 1981 when Bernie was elected. I found out from Gary Trudeau in his Sunday Doonesbury edition. A couple years later, I was back in Vermont living in Burlington. I have several great memories seeing Bernie on the streets and I met him on the sidewalk once. He was eating a hot dog with mustard— I think there was some on his shirt.
Lindsay: I'm a massage therapist in Brattleboro. During Bernie's first run for president, one of my clients was traveling in Ecuador. She was in a hot tub with folks from all over the world and they were telling each other where they were from. When she told them she's from Vermont, everyone said, "We love Bernie."
Broadcast live on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.
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