I don’t know about you, but I’m still living in the afterglow of the most positive non-presidential election I’ve experienced since 1974. I was certainly still there on Friday morning, the third day after the election, when Burlington City Council President Ben Traverse just couldn’t wait any longer to launch his campaign for mayor.

And my reaction was, c.mon, couldn’t you let it breathe just a little?

I mean, the political storylines in Vermont included the Democrats and Progressives retaking their legislative supermajorities and gubernatorial candidate Amanda Janoo doing her best to bring people together and erase the differences between Vermonters. A bit of a honeymoon period would have been nice before Traverse pivoted to a candidacy that’s certain to exacerbate the tensions between caucus partners. For starters, he’ll be running against incumbent Progressive Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, assuming she seeks another term. Even if she doesn’t, there’s certain to be a Progressive nominee Traverse will be trying to topple.

There’s also the fact that, since he became the top Democrat in city politics, he’s done his best to be a thorn in the side of the current administration.

That’s all fine. He has every right to run the campaign he wants. People have every right to support him. I just wish he’d held off a bit longer, out of respect to the long campaign season we’d all just been through and to let the good feelings from last Tuesday linger in the air.

Plus, I don’t understand the rush. City elections are almost four months away, longer than the general election season we just exited. Party caucuses are in December, but I doubt that Traverse will have serious competition for his party’s nomination or any real trouble fundraising among the real estate/developer/deep pocketed business types who will surely flock to his banner. (Get your checkbooks ready, Pomerleaus, Tarrants, Pizzagallis, Bissonettes, Boardmans, et al.)

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