BURLINGTON — Kurt Wright, the city’s sole Republican city councilor, announced Thursday morning that he would not be seeking reelection to the council.
Wright, the council’s president, is the co-host of a morning talk show on WVMT. He announced his decision on the air and said the entry of a formidable opponent in Sarah Carpenter and federal equal time rules that would force him off the air led to his decision.
“I really believe with this entrance of a new candidate that did not allow me to take a little more time, that I’d have to start a campaign a little earlier,” he said. “I think to leave the station, to leave the show for two months, I think is a bridge too far.”
Wright had said he was not planning to run for City Council again after he lost his reelection campaign to the state Legislature in November 2018. But Wright, who has been the council’s president since April 2018, said earlier this year he was reconsidering that decision.
At its caucus Wednesday night, the Progressive Party endorsed Carpenter, who retired from her position as the executive director of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency last year. Carpenter is also planning to seek the Democratic nomination.
Eight of the council’s 12 seats are up for grabs in March. Wright is the only incumbent who has said he will not run for re-election.
Wright and DJ/podcaster Marcus Certa took over the morning radio show in March. Wright said he would have to leave the air before the election because of federal equal time rules.
Wright said he had been planning to announce a reelection bid around the deadline to get on the ballot in late January, leaving the air for the month of February.
But he said with Carpenter’s decision to run, he was anticipating a competitive campaign and would have to start his campaign earlier. Wright said if he announced soon, he’d have to leave the air for January and February.
“I really think the best thing for me now is to come in and do my job every day, continue to be on the show,” he said. “It was an incredibly tough call, I don’t make this decision lightly, and I don’t feel great about it.”
Wright has been a staple of Burlington politics for decades, running for mayor three times. He was the city’s sole Republican legislator in Montpelier before losing to Democratic challenger Bob Hooper in 2018.
Wright didn’t rule out a future return to politics.
“Never say never, who knows what the future holds,” he said.
Former Democratic city councilor Dave Hartnett said Wednesday night that he would consider running for the seat if Wright decided not to run
