By Zoe Szathmary, Daily Mail:
A mayor who was handily defeated in his bid for a sixth two-year term said Wednesday that he believes his loss was due to his support for a plan to bring refugees from Syria and Iraq to the economically depressed Vermont city.
Rutland Mayor Christopher Louras lost Tuesday’s four-way race to City Councilor David Allaire, who had campaigned on a platform of healing a community divided by the mayor’s refugee plan.
While acknowledging that a number of local issues played a role in the race, Louras said he felt his support for refugee resettlement ultimately cost him re-election.
Though I wanted to think this was not a referendum on refugee resettlement, I continue to believe, as I’ve articulated, Rutland is a microcosm of the national conversation on immigration and refugees, and ultimately it was not an election on the issues but an election based on emotions,’ Louras said.
Allaire lost to Louras in two other elections, Seven Days reported.
Louras told the website: ‘I’m simply wishing him luck and I’m moving on.’
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