Mayor looking to clinch a fifth term

  Should he win the day in this year’s General Election, Mayor Carlo DeMaria would cement his legacy as Everett’s longest-serving mayor, surpassing the 16-year tenure of former Mayor Philip Crowley by 2024.

  “We are feeling great about the campaign. The support I have received across our city has been humbling,” said DeMaria. “But our work is not done until 8 p.m. on Tuesday evening and the level of energy and enthusiasm our team has is great. I am confident that we have gotten our message out to the residents of Everett about my record and my vision for the future of our city and I respectfully ask every voter for their vote on November 2.”

  Standing in his way is Ward 1 Councillor Fred Capone.

  However, DeMaria scored a decisive 930-vote victory over Capone in the September Primary Election.

  The winner of the mayor’s race will serve a term of four years.

  In addition to DeMaria and Capone, 36 candidates are on the ballot this year. From the total field, 20 candidates are running for City Council and 16 candidates are running for School Committee.

City Council

  In the race for councillor-at-large, residents can vote for up to five of the 10 candidates on the ballot. This year, Councillors-at-Large Richard Dell Isola, John Hanlon and Michael Marchese are seeking another term. They are being challenged by Irene Cardillo, Guerline Alcy, Angelmarie DiNunzio, Kenneth Giannelli, James Mastrocola, Stephanie Smith and Allen Panarese, who is vacating his Ward 1 seat on the School Committee.

  In the ward races, City Council President Wayne Matewsky is running unopposed and will fill Capone’s seat representing Ward 1. Ward 2 Councillor Stephanie Martins will also be back for another term as she is also running unopposed.

  However, there is competition in Ward 3 as Councillor Anthony DiPierro faces off against challenger Darren Costa.

  In the Ward 4 race, Councillor Jimmy Tri Le is being challenged by Holly Garcia.

  “Everything has been going great, I’m very grateful to have made it through the Primary and I have been working hard ever since,” said Garcia. “I’m looking forward to the election. No matter the outcome, I know that I did all that I could for my campaign. I’ve enjoyed meeting residents by going door to door and listening to their concerns.”

  In the Primary, Le received 604 votes to Garcia’s 316 votes.

  The Ward 5 race features a rematch from the 2019 election as Councillor Rosa DiFlorio is once again running against Vivian Nguyen.

  Ward 6 will have new representation as Councillor Michael McLaughlin is vacating his position to run for School Committee. Therefore, Al Lattanzi and Ross Pietrantonio are vying for the council’s Ward 6 seat.

School Committee

  The at-large School Committee race will feature incumbents Cynthia Sarnie and Samantha Lambert.

  “The tail end of the campaign is always exciting,” said Lambert. “I wasn’t able to canvas the way I would have liked due to my son fracturing his leg and requiring surgery, but the bright side of the pandemic is that we have a lot of new tools. Whether a coffee over Zoom or a phone call, I’m grateful for everyone that took a few minutes to listen and share their belief in the work I’m doing with friends and neighbors.”

  Lambert and Sarnie are facing challenges from Berardino D’Onofrio, Margaret Cornelio, Robert Santacroce and Joseph LaMonica, who is vacating his seat in Ward 2. In this race, residents can vote for up to three of the six candidates on the ballot.

  In the ward races, Millie Cardello is running unopposed and will fill Panarese’s seat in Ward 1.

  Ward 5 Member Marcony Almeida-Barros is also running unopposed and will be back for another term.

 In Ward 2, Jason Marcus and Caitlin Steinberg are competing to fill LaMonica’s seat.

  “I’m excited to get my message out there to the community and hope that it resonates with them,” said Steinberg. “I think we need new voices on the School Committee and I hope to be a link between our community and the Everett Public Schools Administration.”

 In addition, Chairman Frank Parker is not seeking re-election. Therefore, Samantha Hurley is running against Jeanne Cristiano to represent Ward 3.

  “I have been working hard to be the next School Committeewoman from Ward 3, I have been meeting with Ward 3 voters at their doorsteps over the last four months and continue to do so,” said Cristiano. “I continue to be humbled and honored by the tremendous outpouring of support for my candidacy from my neighbors in Ward 3; this campaign is all about the kids. My promise to each and every student is to be their strongest advocate.”

  From canvassing the neighborhoods in Ward 3 to holding signs with her children, Hurley said she has enjoyed the experience of running for School Committee.

  “I’ve heard many opinions from teachers, suggestions from families and concerns from students and feel compelled to support them in times when everyone is still getting used to new protocols and changes,” she said. “As a parent, I hope to bring a comforting level of transparency and communication between committee members, educators and our students. I feel it is important for all candidates to just enjoy running for the good of the students.”

  In Ward 4, Member Dana Murray is being challenged by Michael Mangan.

  “I’m excited for the election and I see this next term as a real opportunity to push up our sleeves and get some important work done,” said Murray. “I feel blessed that I was able to use my first term in office to help see our families through the shutdown during COVID, which was a huge job. Still, I truly look forward to moving into some real, lasting work that can positively impact our entire community.”

  Mangan said he feels “very positive” going into the final stretch of the campaign.

  “I have done a lot of work knocking on doors and listening to the concerns of the residents of Ward 4,” he said.

  Like Ward 3, Ward 6 will also have new representation as Vice Chairman Thomas Abruzzese was defeated in the Primary. Therefore, the new member will either be McLaughlin or Catherine Tomassi-Hicks. In a close Primary, McLaughlin received 404 votes while 356 votes were cast for Tomassi-Hicks.

  The winners of the City Council and School Committee races will be in office for two years.