With the closing of the nomination period and the certification of nominating signatures underway, the final list of candidates for the fall election season is finally taking shape.
Though there will still be races for every city council seat, the City Clerk’s office has been able to pare down the list of candidates some, between those who failed to return their papers and those who failed to turn in enough signatures.
According to City Clerk Michael Matarazzo, so far three potential candidates have either dropped out or been disqualified from the At-Large Council race, including Thomas F. Mills, Peter Pietrantonio and Albert C. Ragucci. Mills did not gather enough signatures to be certified as a candidate and both Pietrantonio and Ragucci chose not to file their nomination papers by the deadline on July 20.
That leaves 11 candidates for the five At-Large Council seats including incumbents Richard Dell Isola, John F. Hanlon, Michael J. Mangan, Peter A. Napolitano and Cynthia Sarnie vying with Leo J. Barrett, Catherine Tomasi Hicks, Joseph Paul Marchese, former State Representative Wayne A. Matewsky, Julio R. Morris, and Daniel Skerritt.
In addition, each of the Incumbent Ward Councilors is facing at least one challenger to retain their seats.
In Ward 1 current Council President Fred Capone is facing a challenge from Kenneth P. Giannelli. Incumbent Ward 2 Councilor Stephen Simonelli is facing four challengers including Shawn R. Coyle, Haley J. LaMonica, Jason Marcus and Dennis J. DiBiase.
In Ward 3, Incumbent Michael Marchese is facing a challenge from Anthony DiPierro and in Ward 4 Incumbent John Leo McKinnon is in a three-way race with both Brian Rawlings and Carmine DeMaria.
Incumbent Ward 5 Councilor Rosa DiFlorio is facing a challenge from Joseph Pierotti and incumbent Ward 6 Councilor Salvatore Sachetta is facing a challenge from Michael McLaughlin.
The only race on the School Committee side evaporated with the apparent elimination of challenger Dana Springer from the Ward 1 School Committee seat, where incumbent Allen Panarese is now facing near certain re-election along with the rest of his colleagues.