Burlington mayor-elect Emma Mulvaney-Stanak to resign House seat

Rep. Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, P/D-Burlington, plans to step down from her seat in the Vermont House on Monday, the same day she is set to be sworn in as Burlington’s next mayor.

The mayor-elect announced her Statehouse resignation in a letter read on her behalf in the chamber Friday morning.

Mulvaney-Stanak was elected Burlington mayor on Town Meeting Day and had reportedly been weighing whether she would serve in the House concurrently. She is set to be the first woman, and the first openly LGBTQ+ person, to hold the city government’s top job.

In her letter, which was read by House Clerk BetsyAnn Wrask, Mulvaney-Stanak said she chose to step down from the chamber so she could “effectively serve the city.”

The community organizer is in her second term representing the Chittenden-17 district, which includes parts of Burlington. She also chairs the House Progressive Caucus and sits on the chamber’s Committee on Commerce and Economic Development. 

“Very few Vermonters earn the privilege of serving as a member of the House of Representatives,” she said, adding that she is proud of her caucus’ work and advocacy and considers her time in the Legislature “to be one of my proudest moments.” 

Mulvaney-Stanak previously told VTDigger that she saw a benefit to holding her seat through the end of the legislative session — typically in May — so that she could vote to override a potential veto by Republican Gov. Phil Scott of legislation that would set up two overdose prevention centers in the state (with one likely located in Burlington).

The House passed H.72 last month, and it is now being considered in the Senate. But Scott has suggested he would rebuke the legislation should it make it to his desk. 

Upon Mulvaney-Stanak’s resignation in a few days, Scott would have authority to appoint a replacement for the remainder of her term, likely from a list of names sent to him by Progressive or Democratic party leaders. Mulvaney-Stanak said previously, though, that she was not confident Scott would fill her seat before the end of the session. 

Asked on Friday about next steps, Scott spokesperson Jason Maulucci said he expects the governor would, in fact, fill Mulvaney-Stanak’s seat before the session expires. 

“It usually takes a couple of weeks to align schedules,” Maulucci said in a statement, “but we always prioritize making these appointments during the session to make sure Vermonters have representation.”

Sarah Mearhoff contributed reporting.