Hopefuls line up for council race

Friday, March 25, 2005
Masslive
By DAVID REID
dreid@repub.com

HOLYOKE - With more than seven months to go before municipal elections this fall, the list of candidates is already starting to swell.

So far, 12 candidates have thrown their hats in the ring for eight at-large City Council seats, including seven incumbents, a former councilor and a recent School Committee vice-chairman.

And the Nov. 8 ballot will feature a race for mayor, with three-term incumbent Michael J. Sullivan vowing to seek re-election for another two-year term and challenger Joseph F. McCormick, an engineering consultant, already handing in the requisite signatures.

For the seven ward council seats, four incumbents have taken out nomination papers, as have two challengers.

And for the eight School Committee seats appearing on the ballot, three incumbents have taken out papers, as has one challenger.

Candidates for public office have until Sept. 13 to collect and turn in the signatures of at least 50 voters, 250 signatures for mayor. The general election will be held Nov. 8, with a preliminary set for Oct. 11 if more than two candidates for any one seat make the ballot.

The list of incumbent at-large councilors who have taken out papers includes: Kevin A. Jourdain, Peter R. Tallman, Elaine A. Pluta, James A. McDermott, James M. Leahy, Raymond H. Feyre and John E. Whelihan.

The five at-large council challengers to date are: former councilor Patricia A. Devine, Veterans Office employee Michael Franco, former School Committee vice-chairman Patrick J. Shaughnessy, student Bruce C. Gibson and labor organizer Patricia A. Duffy.

City Council President Joseph M. McGiverin is the only at-large councilor to not yet take out nomination papers, but he traditionally does not do so until a few months before the election.

Ward 1 City Councilor Lillian Santiago has taken out nomination papers. So has Ward 2 Councilor Diosdado Lopez, Ward 3 Councilor Helen F. Norris and Ward 4 Councilor John P. Lecca.

Landscaper John D. Pierce Jr. has taken out papers to run against Lecca in Ward 4. And in Ward 5, administrator Linda L. Vacon has taken out papers for the Ward 5 council seat now occupied by John P. Brunelle, who has not yet taken out papers.

Ward 6 and 7 Council seats currently have no announced candidates.

City Clerk Susan M. Egan has taken out nomination papers to seek re-election. Treasurer David B. Donoghue has not yet taken out papers.

Three School Committee incumbents have taken out nomination papers: Mary Signet of Ward 1, Jonathan Allyn in Ward 4, and William R. Collamore in Ward 6. Monica A. Siebert has also taken out papers in Ward 6.