Terry Bouricius

Terrill G. Bouricius (born March 27, 1954) is an American politician who served in the Vermont House of Representatives from the Chittenden-7-4 district from 1991 to 2001, as a member of the Vermont Progressive Party.

Terrill G. Bouricius was born in New Mexico on March 27, 1954.

He graduated from Middlebury College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1976.

He married Catherine Lamb, with whom he had two children.

Bouricius announced that he would run for a seat in the Vermont Senate from Addison County with the nomination of the Liberty Union Party during the 1976 election, but placed fifth out of five candidates.

Bouricius ran for one of six seats to the state senate from Chittenden County with the Liberty Union Party's nomination, but placed last.

Bouricius was selected to serve as chair of the Liberty Union Party after Bernie Sanders left the party in 1977, and served until he was replaced by Jack Craven following his resignation in 1978.

During the 1980 election he ran for the Democratic nomination for a seat in the state senate from Chittenden County, but lost in the primary.

However, the Citizens Party later gave him their nomination to run, but he placed eighth out of nine candidates.

Bouricius served as chair of the Liberty Union Party in Addison County.

In 1980, Earl Gardner, Jame Franco, and Bouricius, who were all former members of the Liberty Union Party, aided in the creation of the Citizens Party in Vermont.

Prior to his tenure in the state house, he served on the city council in Burlington, Vermont, from 1981 to 1991, from the 2nd district, and served as president of the city council.

Bouricius was born in New Mexico, and educated at Middlebury College.

He entered politics with his activity in the Liberty Union Party, where he served as chair of the Addison County affiliate and the statewide party, and ran for a seat in the Vermont Senate twice with their nomination.

He left the Liberty Union Party to aid in the creation of the Citizens Party, and ran for state senate and lieutenant governor.

Bouricius was elected to the city council in Burlington, becoming the first member of the Citizens Party elected in the United States.

He was an ally to Mayor Bernie Sanders, and served one term as president of the city council.

Bouricius was given the Citizens nomination to run for a seat on the city council in Burlington, Vermont, from the 2nd district in 1981.

Marion Fisher, the incumbent Democratic member of the city council, refused to debate Bouricius.

Bouricius defeated Fisher in the election becoming the first member of the Citizens Party elected to office in the United States.

Bernie Sanders, who had been endorsed by the Citizens Party, defeated incumbent Democratic Mayor Gordon Paquette by ten votes in the 1981 mayoral election.

Following his victory in the 1981 election Sanders faced difficulties with the city council due to eleven of the thirteen members of the board of alderman opposing Sanders.

The council would oppose measures proposed by Sanders and override his vetoes on legislation.

Bouricius and Sadie White were the only members of the city council aligned with Sanders.

Bouricius ran for lieutenant governor in the 1982 election and was endorsed by the party at its state convention.

He won the Citizens nomination without opposition, but lost in the election won by Republican nominee Peter Plympton Smith.

He was the Citizens' candidate to receive the most support statewide in the 1982 election, but the party lost major party status, which it had gained after the 1980 election, as none of their statewide candidates received more than 5% of the popular vote.

After the 1982 elections there were five pro-Sanders members on the thirteen-member city council.

However, the Republicans and Democratic members of the city council united to select Robert Paterson, a Republican, as president of the city council instead of Sadie White, a Sanders supporter, by a vote of eight to five after six ballots and to prevent the pro-Sanders members of the city council from receiving positions.

He won reelection in the 1983 election against Democratic nominee Esther Sorrell, a former member of the state senate, after spending $617 against Sorrell's $641.

He won reelection in the 1985 election against Democratic nominee John H. Bartlett Jr. with the nomination of the Progressive Coalition.

He ran for a seat in the state house in 1986, and lost by six votes to Ben Truman, but later defeated Truman in the 1990 election and served until his retirement in 2000.

He and Tom Smith were the first members of the Progressive Coalition elected to the state house.

He won reelection in the 1987 election against Democratic nominee Rick Sharp after raising $1,630, raising $2,088, and having a remaining debt of $458.

Bouricius sought reelection to the city council instead of seeking the mayoralty in the 1989 election and defeated Democratic nominee Ian C. Galbraith and Liberty Union nominee Ian Garth Diamondstone.

Bouricius, Jonathan Leopold, the city treasurer, and Peter Clavelle, the Community and Economic Development Director, were considered the most likely candidates for the coalition's nomination for the 1989 mayoral election.

Gene Bergman, the chair of the coalition, stated that he believed the choices at the caucus would be Leopold, Bouricius, and Clavelle.

Bouricius offered his name for consideration, but did not actively campaign for the endorsement of the coalition.

Bouricius gave a speech at the caucus giving his support to Clavelle who won the coalition's nomination.

Dana Clark was elected in the 1991 election to succeed Bouricius.