Bernie Sanders on biography: what the evidence says · JRE #2341
SUBJECT: BIOGRAPHY
The short answer
Sanders became mayor of Burlington, Vermont in 1981. Sanders, running as an independent, won the Burlington mayoral election held March 3, 1981, defeating incumbent Democrat Gordon Paquette by a margin of about ten votes after a recount. His official U.S. Senate biography states that in 1981 he was elected to the first of four terms as mayor of Burlington.
Not a true/false call. Every claim is logged with its sources; read the exhibits below.
I became mayor of Burlington, Vermont in 1981. There was not a computer in the building.
What the evidence says 01 / RECORD
Sanders, running as an independent, won the Burlington mayoral election held March 3, 1981, defeating incumbent Democrat Gordon Paquette by a margin of about ten votes after a recount. His official U.S. Senate biography states that in 1981 he was elected to the first of four terms as mayor of Burlington. He was sworn in on April 6, 1981, becoming the city's first socialist mayor. The claim that he became mayor of Burlington in 1981 is accurate.