Doug Hoffer

Doug Hoffer
29th Auditor of Vermont
Assumed office
January 10, 2013
GovernorPeter Shumlin
Phil Scott
Preceded byTom Salmon
Personal details
Born (1951-09-03) September 3, 1951 (age 72)
New Rochelle, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Other political
affiliations
Progressive
EducationWilliams College (BA)
State University of New York,
Buffalo
(JD)
WebsiteGovernment website

Douglas R. Hoffer Jr. (born September 3, 1951) is an American policy analyst from Burlington, Vermont, who is currently serving as the Vermont State Auditor. He took office on January 10, 2013.

Personal life[edit]

Hoffer was born in New Rochelle, New York, and raised in Norwalk, Connecticut.[1] He is in a long-term relationship, and has no children.[2]

Hoffer pitched a no-hitter for the VFW Little League team of Norwalk in 1964.[3] He won the men’s club championship at the Williston Golf Club in 2006.[4]

Education[edit]

Hoffer left high school in his junior year, and earned his high school equivalency two years later. He entered Williams College in 1981 at age 30,[5] graduated with a B.A. in political science, and went on to receive a J.D. from the University at Buffalo Law School (magna cum laude).[6]

Career[edit]

After leaving high school, Hoffer worked and traveled for over a decade. While living in the Berkshires in western Massachusetts, Doug worked as the Mâitre D’ at Alice's (Restaurant) at Avaloch in Lenox.[7] Upon graduation from law school in 1988, he accepted a position with the City of Burlington in the Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO) having learned of the city's innovative approach to community development under then-mayor Bernie Sanders and CEDO Director Peter Clavelle.[8]

Hoffer left City Hall in 1993 and worked as a self-employed policy analyst for 19 years until winning election as state auditor in 2012. Some of his clients included the Vermont State Auditor, Peace & Justice Center (for whom he wrote all ten phases of The Job Gap Study), Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, Vermont State Treasurer, Vermont Employees Association, Yellow Wood Associates, City of Burlington, Burlington Electric Department, and the Public Assets Institute.[9]

Hoffer was appointed to the Burlington Electric Commission by the mayor and city council in 1994. The commission oversees the municipal electric department and Hoffer served as chair of the commission for five of his six years, from 1995 to 2000.[10]

Elected office[edit]

Hoffer first ran for state auditor in 2010 as the Democratic candidate, with an endorsement from the Vermont Progressive Party, and lost to Republican incumbent Tom Salmon.[11]

In 2012, running as the nominee of the Democrats and Progressives, he defeated Republican State Senator Vincent Illuzzi and Liberty Union Party nominee Jerry Levy (Salmon did not run for re-election).[12]

Hoffer ran unopposed in 2014.[13]

In 2016, Hoffer defeated Republican Dan Feliciano and Liberty Union Party candidate Marina Brown.[14] As in prior campaigns, Hoffer was endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders.[15]

In 2018, Hoffer defeated Republican Richard Kenyon and Liberty Union Party candidate Marina Brown.[16]

In 2020, Hoffer defeated Progressive Party candidate Cris Ericson.[17]

In 2022, Hoffer defeated Republican Richard Morton.[18]

Electoral history[edit]

Vermont Auditor Democratic Primary election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Doug Hoffer 35,750 58.2
Democratic Edward Flanagan 24,630 40.1
Democratic Write-ins 1,065 1.7
Vermont Auditor election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Thomas Salmon (inc.) 120,237 52.0
Democratic* Doug Hoffer 105,081 45.5
Liberty Union Jerry Levy 5,736 2.5
Write-ins Write-ins 111 0.0

*Hoffer was cross-endorsed by the Vermont Progressive Party.

Vermont Auditor election, 2012
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic* Doug Hoffer 140,668 51.4
Republican Vincent Illuzzi 123,669 45.2
Liberty Union Jerry Levy 9,368 3.4
Write-ins Write-ins 12 0.0

*Hoffer was cross-endorsed by the Vermont Progressive Party.

Vermont Auditor election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic* Doug Hoffer (inc.) 146,836 99.8
Write-ins Write-ins 323 0.2

*Hoffer was cross-endorsed by the Vermont Progressive Party.

Vermont Auditor election, 2016
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic* Doug Hoffer (inc.) 159,695 55.4
Republican Dan Feliciano 113,231 39.3
Liberty Union Marina Brown 15,099 5.2
Write-ins Write-ins 228 0.0

*Hoffer was cross-endorsed by the Vermont Progressive Party.

Vermont Auditor election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic* Doug Hoffer (inc.) 160,291 57.61
Republican Richard Kenyon 88,021 31.64
Liberty Union Marina Brown 10,947 3.93
Write-ins Write-ins 116 0.04

*Hoffer was cross-endorsed by the Vermont Progressive Party.

Vermont Auditor Democratic Primary election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Doug Hoffer 55,486 51
Democratic Linda Joy Sullivan 38,018 35
Democratic Write-ins 139 0.00
Vermont Auditor election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic/Republican Doug Hoffer (inc.) 266,445 71.82
Progressive Cris Ericson 48,731 13.14
Vermont Auditor election, 2022
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Doug Hoffer (inc.) 178,714 61.21
Republican Richard Morton 94,613 32.41
Write-ins Write-ins 300 0.02

References[edit]

  1. ^ Vermont State Auditor, Biography, Doug Hoffer, accessed September 10, 2017
  2. ^ Vermont Public Radio, State Auditor Candidates Differ On Approach To Office, October 17, 2012
  3. ^ "Doug Hoffer Hurls No Hitter for VFW". The Norwalk Hour. Norwalk, CT. June 16, 1964.
  4. ^ Staff Writers (August 15, 2006). "Scoreboard". Sports. The Burlington Free Press (Subscription required). p. 18. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  5. ^ Alicia Freese, Seven Days, State Auditor Doug Hoffer Wants to Keep His (59th) Job, September 21, 2016
  6. ^ Vermont Secretary of State, 2012 Election results
  7. ^ Alicia Freese, Seven Days, State Auditor Doug Hoffer Wants to Keep His (59th) Job, September 21, 2016
  8. ^ Alicia Freese, Seven Days, State Auditor Doug Hoffer Wants to Keep His (59th) Job, September 21, 2016
  9. ^ Vermont State Auditor, Biographies, 2018.
  10. ^ Ken Picard, Seven Days, Power Play: The risks and rewards of privatizing Burlington Electric, November 9, 2011
  11. ^ Vermont Secretary of State, 2010 General election results Archived 2010-12-01 at the Wayback Machine, 2010
  12. ^ Vermont Secretary of State, 2012 General Election Results, 2012
  13. ^ Vermont Secretary of State, 2014 Auditor General Election Results, accessed September 10, 2017
  14. ^ Vermont Secretary of State, 2016 Auditor General Election Results, 2016
  15. ^ Jasper Craven, VTDIGGER.ORG, Sanders endorses slate of Vermont Democrats, October 13, 2016
  16. ^ Vermont Secretary of State, , 2018 General Election Results, 2019
  17. ^ Vermont Secretary of State, , 2020 General Election Results, 2020
  18. ^ "2022 General Election Results". sos.vermont.gov. 2022-12-13. Retrieved 2022-12-13.

External links[edit]

Political offices
Preceded by Auditor of Vermont
2013–present
Incumbent