City Clerk Michael Matarazzo, comfortably back to work after losing consciousness during last month’s Democratic State Representative Primary race, is predicting a lighter turnout than showed for the Democratic race in March, despite two Independent candidates and the possibility of two write-in candidates.
“It’s hard to tell what is going to happen with this election, because there is no way of knowing how many voters will show up to support one of the write-in candidates or another write-in,” said Matarazzo. “But, I’m going to guess that we’ll get somewhere between 2,800 and 3,200 voters next Tuesday.”
By contrast, the primary election to determine the Democratic nominee last month drew just under 4,000 voters, which had been in line with Matarazzo’s prediction last month of a 3,500 to 4,000 voter turnout.
If history is any guide and Matarazzo’s prediction is accurate, Common Councilor Wayne Matewsky has to be considered the favorite to be the city’s next State Representative, when the votes are counted next week. However, for the candidates, there is still a race to run, so here is a rundown of the choices that voters will have on Tuesday.
Matewsky, as already mentioned, was the victor in the Democratic Primary last month and will be the only candidate on the ballot with a (D) after his name. Running against Matewsky in the general are Independent candidate and fellow Common Councilor Rosa DiFlorio and Independent candidate and former elected official Dennis Gianatassio.
In addition, two other candidates are known to be organizing write-in/sticker challenges to Matewsky.
Former Mayor John Hanlon, who came in third in last month’s Primary has organized a strong campaign to win the general election on a sticker campaign/write-in candidate. Hanlon trailed Matewsky by a little more than 100 votes last month, but that was in a field of five democratic candidates. With a thinner pool of Democrats and a traditionally heavily Democratic electorate, Hanlon is hoping to convince voters to write-in his name or place a sticker with his name on the ballot.
He has already lodged a request for an automatic recount, though that can be withdrawn, if the final machine county is convincing.
Also, Joseph Santagate, who had considered a run in the democratic primary, is now organizing a write-in campaign as well. Both men seem to want to give voters a Democratic choice in next Tuesday’s general election.