By Joseph Domelowicz Jr.
Incumbent Ward 2 Councilor Stephen Simonelli will face former Ward 2 Common Councilor Jason Marcus on the November general election ballot, after the two candidates earned the two highest vote totals in last week’s only city council preliminary election.
Marcus actually edged out Simonelli by seven votes in a race that featured only 1,357 voters, but five candidates. Marcus grabbed 411 votes, with Simonelli gathering 404, good enough for 30.3 and 29.8 percent of the total vote. They were trailed on the ballot by newcomers Shawn R. Coyle who has 243, Haley LaMonica with 158 votes and Dennis DiBiase with 131 votes.
According to City Clerk Michael Matarazzo, ballot positions for all City Council races will be drawn on Thursday evening at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
Though Simonelli was the only Councilor facing multiple challengers in a preliminary election, a likely cause for the lackluster showing, all of his Council colleagues are facing races in the November 3 General Election. There are no races on the School Committee, as all of the incumbents will run unopposed to retain their seats.
On the Council, 11 candidates remain for the five At-Large Council seats including incumbents Richard Dell Isola, John F. Hanlon, Michael J. Mangan, Peter A. Napolitano and Cynthia Sarnie they will be challenged by Leo J. Barrett, former Alderwoman Catherine (Kay) Tomasi Hicks, Joseph Paul Marchese, former State Representative and Common Councilor Wayne A. Matewsky, Julio R. Morris, and Daniel Skerritt.
In Ward 1 current Council President Fred Capone is facing a challenge from Kenneth P. Giannelli. Ward 3 Incumbent Michael Marchese is facing a challenge from Anthony DiPierro and Ward 4 Councilor John Leo McKinnon is in a three-way race with both Brian Rawlings and Carmine DeMaria.
Incumbent Ward 5 Councilor Rosa DiFlorio is being challenged by Joseph Pierotti and Ward 6 Councilor Salvatore Sachetta is facing a challenge from former Common Councilor Michael McLaughlin.