Vermont rumor: Chittenden DA may run for mayor if she loses re-election

By Ted Cohen

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The recent sleeper TV debate between the two DA contestants in Burlington was far less interesting than a Facebook discussion that followed.

"Rumor that if she loses, she's gonna run for Burlington mayor," Facebooker Brian Jordan posted on WCAX-TV's social-media page.

Jordan was referring to incumbent Chittenden County State's Attorney Sarah George, running for re-election against Bram Kranichfeld.

Jordan's speculation triggered three immediate responses from Kathy Jodoin, Joel FitzGerald and Gina Halpern - all of them 'no way Jose.'

To a person they suggested George would be as soft on crime as mayor as her critics have painted her to be as DA.

Actually that seems to be Kranichfeld's populist beef with George - that she's more a social worker than a cop.

George, meanwhile, questioned her opponent's alleged confusing campaign pitch on "cash bail."

Are your eyes glazing over?

Precisely why the speculation over George running for Burlington mayor in the spring is interesting.

An equally logical question might be whether Kranichfeld, a former city councilor, will run if he loses the DA race.

If he's serious about reducing crime, the job of mayor would arguably be a much better soap box from which to make such a pitch.

A mayor who could actually make a city safer vs. just postulating could write his own political future
But Kranichfeld has already gone the mayor's route once before - and he didn't light the room on fire.

Far from it, in fact. He placed third in a three-way race, back in 2012.

Four years later he effectively lost his second political race when the governor overlooked his ten years experience as deputy prosecutor and appointed his subordinate, yes, Sarah George, who had fewer years in the job than he did, to fill a vacancy created when Chittenden DA TJ Donovan was elected attorney general.

When Kranichfeld learned that he was being snubbed for the top job and would in fact now be answering to George, he quit, and went to work for Donovan in the attorney general's office.

Not long thereafter, he chucked it all and went to seminary school to become an Episcopal priest, later getting a gubernatorial appointment as DA in Franklin County, where political dreams go to die.

The odds in the DA's race, based on history alone, may favor George, who has never lost an election, while her opponent has effectively been defeated twice.

If George prevails, she's a good future bet for statewide or federal office.

If not, the corner office in City Hall could be quite appealing even as a default.

Meanwhile, the incumbent mayor, Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, has yet to say whether she will seek a second term.

Mulvaney-Stanak is certainly acting like an interested party, however, doing stuff like throwing out first pitches at kids' ballgames.

The stuff impotent mayors do while their city is burning.

How much worse could George, or Kranichfeld for that matter, be?

Maybe time to start printing up those campaign signs, by George.