All three candidates for mayor have pulled Nomination Papers this week – as Papers officially became available on Monday morning – and some surprises have already emerged, such as Councilor Michael McLaughlin announcing he won’t run for re-election to the Ward 6 seat and is currently keeping his options open.
Other immediate surprises – as of Tuesday at noon – were School Committeeman Allen Panarese filing for Councilor at-Large; At-Large Councilor Wayne Matewsky filing for Ward 1 Councilor; Council Clerk Mike Mangan filing for Ward 4 School Committee; and Bernie D’Onofrio re-entering public life in running for Ward 6 School Committee.
“Monday was a very busy day,” said City Clerk Sergio Cornelio. “It was a steady flow all day of candidates and incumbents coming in to get their Papers. I’d rather have them in and get their Papers if they are running so we have time to go through the certification process.”
One key change is the emergence of ward-only voting for Council Ward seats and School Committee ward seats. No longer will a ward councilor or School Committee member have to run citywide. That Charter Change was signed into law by Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito at 11:47 a.m. on Saturday, thus changing the course of this election in a big way.
The biggest race, of course, has been solidified with the three candidates for mayor pulling Nomination Papers on Monday afternoon.
After pulling papers, each mayoral candidate issued a statement about their campaign, which are listed below in alphabetical order by last name.
Said Councilor Gerly Adrien, “On Monday morning, I was the first mayoral candidate to pick up my Nomination Papers at Everett City Hall. For the past few months, I have been out in our neighborhoods, knocking on doors and talking to residents everyday about our campaign’s bold vision for a better Everett. I am looking forward to continuing to engage with our neighbors throughout the next few weeks to gather signatures, so we can get on the ballot and continue to fight for the changes our residents deserve.”
Said Councilor Fred Capone, “My family and I are prepared for a busy summer of campaigning. We have already started door knocking and are overwhelmed by the support. This campaign is not about me; it’s about the residents of Everett. We are running so that every voice gets heard and every opinion matters. I’m excited about speaking with our residents and working to earn their support in September.”
Said Mayor DeMaria, “I have officially pulled papers and will be seeking re-election as Mayor of the City of Everett. When I became Mayor, I made a promise to continue to better our community. I am not finished, my job is not done. I look forward to knocking on each and every door to make sure my message and goals for our city are clear. As always, on behalf of my family and I, we appreciate the continuous love and support. #EverettforEveryone.”
Mayoral candidates have to get 500 signatures, and a long-standing requirement already in place is that at least 25 signatures have to come from each ward. Once those signatures are certified, it guarantees a place on the ballot. If all three qualify for the ballot, that would trigger a Mayoral Preliminary Election in September.
One of the bigger surprises Monday was someone that didn’t show up on the Nomination Paper list, and that is Councilor McLaughlin.
In a statement on Monday morning, he said he would not be seeking re-election to the Ward 6 seat – which led to it becoming another open seat on the Council. He said it wasn’t the end of his political road, and he will be running for another office.
“As nomination papers are now available, I am in the process of still considering how I can be most beneficial to the entire Everett community,” he said. “While I plan to continue serving as an elected official in some capacity, I’m still talking to family, friends and constituents regarding their needs in hopes to make the best informed decision as to where I can best serve my hometown. I look forward to the coming weeks and months and discussing how I can help continue moving Everett forward for all that call Everett home.”
In Ward 6’s new open seat, Candidate Al Lattanzi has pulled papers to run for the seat – after having lost to McLaughlin last time around. He will likely face Ross Pietrantonio of Alfred Street.
McLaughlin has already lent his support to Lattanzi this week.
•In Ward 1, long-time at-Large Councilor Wayne Matewsky – who is recovering from a medical emergency earlier this year – has pulled papers to succeed mayoral candidate Fred Capone. A long-time resident of Lewis Street, Matewsky was rumored for a while to be interested in the Ward 1 seat if Capone ran for mayor.
•The five at-large seats on the Council are fairly open with Matewsky departing and Adrien running for mayor. Incumbents Michael Marchese and Rich Dell Isola have pulled Papers, but Council Dean John Hanlon has not pulled his Paper yet. A major surprise in the race is long-time School Committeeman Allen Panarese making the jump to run for at-Large Council. Two years ago, he was rumored to be interested, but didn’t make the call. This time around, he’s in.
Those who have also pulled Papers for a potential run for the seat include Angelmarie DiNunzio, James Mastrocola, Stephanie Smith, James LaVecchio, and Kenny Giannelli.
•In Ward 2 City Council, incumbent Stephanie Martins has decided to stay put in the Ward seat, but she’ll face long-time political veteran Jason Marcus of Dartmouth Street. It will be an interesting race in particular now that ward-only voting is in place.
•In Ward 4 Council, incumbent Jimmy Tri Le could face James Mastrocola, who also pulled papers for the at-Large race. Le won with no competition two years ago when long-time former Councilor Leo McKinnon decided not to run just before the cutoff date.
•Unopposed so far are Ward 3 Councilor Anthony DiPierro and Ward 5 Councilor Rosa DiFlorio.
•In the School Committee, there is no shortage of drama as well, which has not historically been the case in Everett. One of the most interesting races so far is in Ward 1, where Joanne Parris, Millie Cardello and Margaret Cornelio have all pulled papers. Parris is a long-time resident who has been very active in the community for a number of years, while Cornelio is a former School Department employee who is also the mother of Clerk Sergio Cornelio. Cardello is currently an at-Large member, and also pulled papers for that office too. It is the same situation for Cornelio, who has also pulled papers for at-Large.
In Ward 4, incumbent Dana Murray has pulled Papers, but quickly had some competition from Council Clerk (and former councilor) Mike Mangan, of Walnut Street. Murray won election in a surprise two years ago, but emerged as a leader on the Committee as she is an educator in East Boston and has a firm grip on the issues. Mangan, however, has quite a political following in Everett and was involved for years in youth activities.
Ward 6 is interesting in that former School Committee Chair Bernie D’Onofrio has pulled Papers to run once again for a seat. Two years ago, in a challenge by former Candidate David Lindsey, D’Onofrio’s signatures were determined to be invalid, and he did not qualify for the ballot. Now, he’s back, and incumbent Tom Abruzzese has yet to pull Papers, but is expected to do so.
In Ward 2, with Panarese out, an open seat exists and so far Jason Marcus is the only candidate. Marcus has also pulled Papers for Ward 2 Council. It will be interesting to see which directions he veers towards.
In the at-Large race, incumbent Cynthia Sarnie has pulled Papers again, and Cardello and Cornelio – as mentioned above – have pulled papers for at-Large and Ward 1.
Ward 3 School Committeeman Frank Parker and Ward 5 School Committeeman Marcony Almeida Barros have no one against them at this point.