Voters will be tasked with exercising their civic duty during what’s anticipated to be a contentious local election on Tuesday.
Contested races are featured in three communities in the The Item‘s coverage area, Lynn, Peabody and Saugus, with incumbents fighting to fend off challengers in their respective City Council, School Committee and Board of Selectmen races.
Lynn voters can expect to see a ballot with candidates for their respective ward councilor races, along with seven councilor-at-large and eight School Committee candidates.
Twenty-eight candidates are seeking election for City Council and School Committee this Tuesday. Twenty seats are available. The only race that is not contested is Ward 2, where Councilor Rick Starbard, president of Rick’s Auto Collision, is running unopposed.
Councilor-at-Large incumbents Gordon “Buzzy” Barton, a retired Lynn firefighter; Brian Field, a funeral director at Solimine Funeral Home; Brian LaPierre, director of organization at the American Federation of Teachers and former teacher; and Hong Net, a child support enforcement specialist at the Massachusetts Department of Revenue; are facing a challenge from Jose M. Encarnacion, an administrator at the Dominican Republic Consulate; Joel Hyppolite, and Lennin Ernesto Pena, an operator at the city’s wastewater treatment plant. Voters will be asked to pick four candidates.
For City Council, voters will see a rematch in wards 1, 3, and 5.
Ward 1 voters will choose between incumbent Wayne Lozzi, an environmental analyst for MassDEP, and William O’Shea III, an attorney.
In Ward 3, City Council President Darren Cyr, an investigator for the Massachusetts State Lottery, is facing a challenge from George Meimeteas, a real estate company owner.
In Ward 4, voters will decide whether to re-elect Richard Colucci, a real estate agent, or vote for his challenger, Natasha Megie-Maddrey, an attorney who ran unsuccessfully for School Committee two years ago.
Ward 5 voters will choose between incumbent Dianna Chakoutis, a restaurant manager and the only woman on the City Council, and her opponent, Marven Hyppolite, a caseworker for U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton’s office who is running for the seat for a third time. He has no relation to Joel Hyppolite.
One of the most closely watched races this election season has been for Ward 6, where two candidates are vying to fill the seat vacated by state Rep. Peter Capano following his election to the state legislature last November.
Incumbent Fred Hogan, who was selected by the City Council in January to fill Capano’s seat, is facing a challenge from Cinda Danh. The two were separated by just 10 votes in September’s primary.
John “Jay” Walsh, a former General Electric Co. employee who now works for his family’s oil company, is vying to hold onto his seat in Ward 7, where he’s facing a challenge from Alexis Reynoso, a business owner.
For School Committee, voters will be asked to choose six of the eight candidates running: incumbents Brian Castellanos, a social worker for the Department of Children and Families; Donna Coppola, a case manager at JOI Childcare Center; John Ford, a retired General Electric Co. employee; Lorraine Gately, a schoolteacher; Jared Nicholson, a law professor at Northeastern University; Michael Satterwhite, an attorney; and challengers Sandra Lopez, who works in healthcare, and Tiffany Magnolia, a professor at North Shore Community College.
In Peabody, seven candidates are seeking five councilor-at-large seats, including incumbents Ryan Melville, Thomas Rossignoll, Thomas Gould, Anne Manning Martin, and challengers Ward 1 Councilor Jon Turco, School Committee member Jarrod Hochman and retired Peabody Police Capt. John DeRosa Jr. To run for the councilor-at-large seat vacated by David Gravel, Turco gave up his Ward 1 seat.
Mayor Edward Bettencourt is running unopposed.
All but two ward council races are contested. Ward 3 Councilor James Moustsoulas and Ward 5 Councilor Joel Saslaw are running unopposed.
Craig Welton, chief development officer at Northeast Arc, and Russell Donovan, a former mayoral candidate, are vying for Turco’s open seat in Ward 1.
Ward 2 Councilor Peter McGinn will try to fend off challenger, Jaclyn Corriveau.
In Ward 4, incumbent Edward Charest faces a challenge from John Salisbury-Rowswell.
In Ward 6, voters will choose between Councilor Mark O’Neill and challenger, Keith Doucette.
The three School Committee members who will appear on the ballot Tuesday, Joseph Amico, Brandi Carpenter and John Olimpio, are running unopposed.
The local election in Saugus will be highlighted by contested races for the Board of Selectmen and School Committee.
Twelve candidates are seeking to fill five seats on the Board of Selectmen, including incumbents Scott Brazis, Jeff Cicolini, Debra Panetta, and Jennifer D’Eon, and challengers Anthony Cogliano Sr., Alberto Morgante, Corinne Riley, Paul Allan, Christopher Jones, Michael Serino, Domenic Montano, and Michael Coller.
Selectman Mark Mitchell, accused of embezzling funds from his former employer, is not running for re-election.
Ten candidates are running for five seats on the School Committee. Incumbents Jeanette Meredith, Linda Gaieski and Marc Magliozzi are seeking re-election, and challengers John S. Hatch, William Marchand Jr., Arthur Grabowski, Joseph Gould, Ryan Fisher, Thomas Whittredge and Darren Ring are vying for a seat on the panel.
School Committee members Liz Marchese and Lisa Morgante are not running for re-election.
For a list of polling locations, click here.
