As the City Election nears, Ward 4 will see an interesting and rare race – two incumbents facing off against one another.
The news broke last week that current At-Large Councillor Mike Mangan had pulled papers for a run in Ward 4 instead of running again for an at-large bid.
That put him squarely up against 14-year incumbent Leo McKinnon.
This week, Mangan confirmed to the Independent that he did, indeed, plan to make a run in Ward 4 this year.
“A lot of people would think I’m the incumbent and odds on favorite, but I do intend to run for Ward for and the reason is because I knew there would have been a crowded field in the at-large race,” Mangan said. “I think there’s already 10 or 11 people who have taken out papers. I felt pretty good about making a run in Ward 4. It’s nothing against Leo McKinnon. He’s a good guy. I have nothing but the greatest respect, but you make a decision and flip a coin. Nothing is a guarantee. When I looked at it, I felt like I had a better chance in Ward 4 where there would only be a couple of candidates.”
Mangan said he also had many friends in the at-large race, including the other incumbents and challenger Dan Skeritt. Likewise, the decision also came down to the fact that there would like be low voter turnout due to it being a non-mayoral election year.
Councillor McKinnon said he was already out campaigning and looked forward to the race.
“I am the incumbent down there for 14 years,” he said. “If he wants to jump in the waters and test them to see what he can do, then good luck to him. Anyone can run. It will be an interesting race.”
Both men said they have known one another for some time, and actually coached softball together when their kids played.
McKinnon said he had pulled his papers late last week and intended to file them soon.