King represents a class of political actors who make progress impossible.

by Kolby LaMarche

If you ever wander into Burlington’s City Hall during a council meeting, a spectral presence might catch your eye.

Much like other apparitions, it is visible but remains almost completely silent. That would be Ward 8 Councilor Hannah King, sitting in the corner, slack-jawed and staring.

King, an elected representative, doesn’t say anything about anything. I’m serious.

So, who is Councilor Hannah King?

Hailing from Bolton, Massachusetts, a town boasting a median household income of $191,208, King came to Burlington with the intention of pursuing a degree from the University of Vermont. However, she fell short of obtaining it and eventually dropped out.

King first ran for city council in 2022, losing by 7% to Progressive Ali House who soon after, about 8 months in office, resigned. House’s resignation triggered a special election in March of 2023, where King would win against a Progressive challenger, Rhone Allison.

According to the Wayback Machine, an internet archive, King’s “issues” page didn’t change in either of her campaigns.

King’s central theme was to “[center] climate and racial justice in every conversation and policy possible”

In a section of her platform titled “Our Neighborhood”, King promised to “Offer a standing monthly meeting for students and long-term residents to gather and talk about our shared issues.”

According to King’s campaign Facebook page, only one “listening session” has ever been provided to constituents, earlier in April of this year. Two people attended.

Other planks of King’s platform included building housing, increasing Burlington’s minimum wage to “$15+”, and holding UVM accountable.

King’s platform laid down what she believed in, though – as seems to be common amongst numerous other candidates – it completely lacked a roadmap or any concrete policy plans for achievement.

Before taking office, King worked on Congresswoman Becca Balint’s campaign as finance director.

It was during that time that Balint’s campaign was aided – both directly and indirectly – by roughly $1 million from crypto entrepreneur and former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried and his associates. According to prosecutors, Bankman-Fried did so explicitly to gain favor over federal representatives.

After her stint with Balint’s campaign, King was quickly hired as the Director of Communications and Business Development by the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce where she continues to work.

Recently, King was the only Democrat on the Burlington council to vote in favor of a resolution that called for a cease-fire in Gaza. Her vote, of course, carried political significance.

But King showed voters her approach to governance by wordlessly casting her judgment. She didn’t explain, defend, or promote her thoughts on the issue. Instead, she sat silent the entire meeting. Though, this isn’t anything new for King.

According to council meeting minutes dating back to April of this year, when she was sworn in, King has only spoken during deliberations three (3) times.

A source, who agreed to speak to Burning Sky on the promise of anonymity, worked closely with King in the last election cycle.

According to the source, King “Regularly joked about how easy it was to raise dirty money.” And in all of their dealings with King, they described her as “vapid” and “consisting of mainly empty platitudes.”

When told how many times King has spoken at council, the source responded “I’m not surprised,” adding “her discomfort with public speaking is less a social anxiety than just a result of having nothing to say.”

King is running for election, again. And in her speech at the Democratic caucus, King asked for voters’ support to “continue the work we started,” vowing to be “present and engaged” on council.

For King, it’s an odd choice to say she speaks on behalf of her constituency when, in fact, she doesn’t speak at all.

She, obviously, has passionate politics. And I think we could agree on a few things. No doubt, she has worked hard on numerous campaigns. But that, alone, shouldn’t mean she skate into public office.

When elected representatives, like King, make important decisions on important issues, like the cease-fire resolution, they ought to make position statements clearly to the public, they ought to want to be on record. But it seems King doesn’t.

King represents a class of political actors who make progress impossible. The kind who, every couple years, whip out the same slogans to woo voters – in King’s case, temporary student voters. The only thing as pale and as lackluster as her campaign is her aggressively bleached hair, and Burlingtonians deserve better.

King is merely another out-of-stater, who couldn’t even bother to finish at UVM before eroding our city as a shill for business interests and entrenched Democratic politicians.

I don’t live in Ward 8, but if I did, I would be extremely hesitant to give King another term.

Burning Sky is dedicated to providing critique and commentary on the issues of the day from an unapologetic perspective, fueling change in the heart of Vermont. Authored by Kolby LaMarche every Saturday.