HOLYOKE — Papers are in, and election season has begun in the Paper City.
While most of the contests this fall will feature unopposed incumbents, there are two races — Ward 1 City Council and Ward 5 School Committee — that have attracted more than two candidates and have triggered the need for mid-September preliminary election, according to City Clerk Brenna Murphy Leary.
For the Ward 1 council position, incumbent Jenny Rivera will face challenges from Victor Machado and Jose R. Candelario.
In the Ward 5 School Committee race, three newcomers – Jens M. Michaelsen, James Alan Rossmeisl and Aida Luz Oquendo – are competing to replace incumbent John G. Whelihan, who is not seeking reelection.
The preliminary election will be held on Sept. 16, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the following locations: Ward 1, Precinct A, Rosary Towers, 21 Bowers St.; Ward 1, Precinct B, City Hall, 536 Dwight St.; Ward 5, Precinct A, Lt. Elmer J. McMahon School gym; and Ward 5, Precinct B, Maurice A. Donahue School gym.
The top two vote-getters in these races will advance to the municipal election on Nov. 4.
The municipal election will also include City Council contests for Wards 3 and 4. The Ward 3 race will involve incumbent David K. Bartley and challenger Anne Thalheimer, while the Ward 4 race is between newcomers Richard Paul Purcell and Peter Diaz Jr. Incumbent Kocayne S. Givner is not seeking reelection.
Also up for grabs at the municipal election will be six at-large council positions. Nine candidates will be on the ballot, including incumbents Tessa R. Murphy-Romboletti, Patricia C. Devine, Israel Rivera, Howard B. Greaney Jr., Kevin Andrew Jourdain and Michael J. Sullivan, as well as newcomers Jennifer M. Keitt, Mimi Panitch and Christopher Dunay.
Other uncontested races include:
- Mayor Joshua Garcia, who is finishing his first full term.
- City Clerk Brenna Murphy Leary.
- City Councilor Ward 2 newcomer Nicole Marie Maisonet. Incumbent Carmen Y. Ocasio is not seeking reelection.
- City Councilor Ward 5 Linda L. Vacon.
- City Councilor Ward 6 Juan C. Anderson-Burgos.
- City Councilor Ward 7 Meg Magrath-Smith.
- At-Large School Committee Member Devin Sheehan. (Two-year term)
- At-Large School Committee Member Mildred I. Lefebvre. (Four-year term)
- School Committee Member Ward 1 Gladys Lebron-Martinez
- School Committee Member Ward 2 Rosalee Tensley Williams
- School Committee Member Ward 3 Yadilette Rivera-Colon
- School Committee Member Ward 4 Luis Orlando Isaza
- School Committee newcomer Ward 6 Patrick Bryan Beaudry. Incumbent William R. Collamore is not seeking reelection.
- School Committee Member Ward 7 Eleanor Mary Wilson
Samuel Gelinas can be reached at sgelinas@gazettenet.com.
