Douglas R. Hoffer Jr. (born September 3, 1951) is an American

policy analyst Policy analysis is a technique used in the public administration sub-field of political science to enable civil servants, nonprofit organizations, and others to examine and evaluate the available options to implement the goals of laws and electe ...

from

Burlington, Vermont Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located south of the Canada–United States border and south of Montreal. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 44,743. It ...

, who is currently serving as the

Vermont State Auditor The Vermont State Auditor of Accounts is one of six constitutional officers in Vermont, elected statewide every two years. The Office provides an independent and objective assessment of Vermont's governmental operations. The current Auditor is ...

. He took office on January 10, 2013.

Personal life

Hoffer was born in

New Rochelle, New York New Rochelle (; older french: La Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. In 2020, the city had a population of 79,726, making it the seventh-largest in the state of ...

, and raised in

Norwalk, Connecticut , image_map = Fairfield County Connecticut incorporated and unincorporated areas Norwalk highlighted.svg , mapsize = 230px , map_caption = Location in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Fairfield County and ...

. He is in a long-term relationship, and has no children. Hoffer pitched a

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

for the

VFW The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an organization of US war veterans, who, as United States Armed Forces, military service members fought in wars, Military campaign, campaigns, ...

Little League team of Norwalk in 1964. He won the men’s club championship at the Williston Golf Club in 2006.

Education

Hoffer left high school in his junior year, and earned his high school equivalency two years later. He entered

Williams College Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a col ...

in 1981 at age 30, graduated with a B.A. in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

, and went on to receive a J.D. from the University at Buffalo Law School (

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

Career

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. 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. 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. 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.

Elected office

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. In 2012, running as the nominee of the Democrats and Progressives, he defeated Republican

State Senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

Vincent Illuzzi Vincent Illuzzi, Jr. (born September 17, 1953) is an American lawyer and politician from Derby, Vermont, Derby, Vermont who formerly served as a Vermont Republican Party, Republican member of the Vermont Senate, Vermont State Senate representing ...

and

Liberty Union Party The Green Mountain Peace and Justice Party, known as the Liberty Union Party (LUP) until 2021, is a political party active in the U.S. state of Vermont. It is a self-proclaimed "non-violent socialist party". The LUP was founded in 1970 by former ...

nominee Jerry Levy (Salmon did not run for re-election). Hoffer ran unopposed in 2014. In 2016, Hoffer defeated Republican Dan Feliciano and

candidate Marina Brown. As in prior campaigns, Hoffer was endorsed by

Senator Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...

. In 2018, Hoffer defeated Republican Richard Kenyon and

candidate Marina Brown. In 2020, Hoffer defeated Progressive Party candidate Cris Ericson. In 2022, Hoffer defeated Republican Richard Morton.

Electoral history

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

References

External links

Government websiteCampaign website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoffer, Doug 1951 births 21st-century American politicians Living people Politicians from New Rochelle, New York Politicians from Burlington, Vermont Politicians from Norwalk, Connecticut State Auditors of Vermont Williams College alumni University at Buffalo Law School alumni Vermont Democrats Vermont Progressive Party politicians