Michael Monte and Sharon Bushor, independent members of the city council, considered running for the mayoralty with the Progressive nomination, but declined after Clavelle announced his campaign.

Peter Brownell's victory in the 1993 election against Progressive Coalition Mayor Peter Clavelle was the first time a Republican had won Burlington's mayoralty since Edward A. Keenan left office in 1965, and ended the Progressive's control over the mayoralty which started with Bernie Sanders' victory in the 1981 election.

[9] Sharon Bushor, another independent member of the city council, announced on November 23, that she would not run for the Progressive Coalition's nomination and gave her support to Clavelle.

[9][13] However, he dropped out and ran to succeed Brian Pine, a Progressive Coalition member of the city council, who was retiring due to the upcoming birth of his first child.

[19][20] There was a public forum held by the Downtown Burlington Development Association and attended by Brownell, Clavelle, and Lafayette.

[27] Clavelle received more than the forty percent of the popular vote required to avoid a runoff election.

[17][2] Clavelle was the first mayor of Burlington since James Edmund Burke in the 1933 election to return to the position after losing reelection.

[31] Garrison Nelson, a political science professor at the University of Vermont, stated that Clavelle won due to his campaign organization and Lafayette splitting Brownell's vote.