Nearly all incumbents poised for reelection runs in Malden 2023 municipal election

Only open seat elections to be decided this fall are both in Ward 5 for City Council and School Committee at this time

  With just under five months left until Election Day 2023, the field is settling into place as for announced candidates vying for the various elected posts. According to information obtained from the office of Malden City Clerk Carol Ann Desiderio, there will be contested races for Malden Mayor and several Malden City Council and Malden School Committee seats, if candidates who obtained nomination papers for the posts return them with the required number of signatures by the prescribed date. At this time the only open seats where incumbents have announced they will not seek reelection are both in Ward 5, with decisions by longtime City Councillor and present City Council President Barbara Murphy and School Committee Member Adam Weldai to step aside.

  The procedure for officially seeking election to municipal posts is as follows: Potential candidates were able to obtain nomination papers from the Malden City Clerk’s office since May 9. According to the adopted municipal election calendar, candidates have until July 31 to obtain the nomination papers and until August 1, 5:00 p.m., to file the nomination papers with the prescribed number of signatures for verification to the Board of Registrar of Voters. The next deadline after that would be August 15 to file nomination papers with verified signatures to the City Clerk’s Office.

  The city of Malden’s Preliminary Election date is Tuesday, September 19, 2023. The General Election date is Tuesday, November 7, 2023.

  As of Wednesday, May 31, two candidates have obtained nomination papers for the city’s top post, Mayor of Malden: incumbent three-term Mayor Gary Christenson, who is seeking a fourth four-year term, and challenger Lissette Aracely Alvarado, a first-time Malden political candidate.

  Following are the candidates who have obtained nomination papers for the various municipal elected posts.

Mayor

  Incumbent Gary J. Christenson; challenger Lissette Aracely Alvarado

City Council

  Ward 1: Incumbent Peg Crowe.

  Ward 2: Incumbent Paul Condon; challenger Sheila Rachels.

  Ward 3: Incumbent Amanda Linehan.

  Ward 4: Incumbent Ryan O’Malley.

  Ward 5: Ari Taylor; Julie Turner.

  Ward 6: Incumbent Stephen Patrick Winslow; challenger Jerry Leone.

  Ward 7: Incumbent Chris Simonelli.

  Ward 8: Incumbent Jadeane Sica.

  At Large: Incumbent Karen Colón Hayes, Incumbent Carey McDonald, Incumbent Craig Spadafora, challenger Dante DiSerio.

School Committee

  Ward 1: Incumbent Michael E. Drummey.

  Ward 2: Incumbent Robert S. McCarthy, Jr.

  Ward 3: Incumbent Jennifer Marie Spadafora.

  Ward 4: Incumbent Dawn M. Macklin.

  Ward 5: Elizabeth J. Hortie.

  Ward 6: Incumbent Joseph S. Gray.

  Ward 7: Incumbent Keith Eric Bernard.

  Ward 8: Incumbent Sharyn Rose-Zeiberg.

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  As of this week, the only candidate to have submitted the minimum number of required signatures for a ward race (50) has been incumbent Ward 4 Councillor Ryan O’Malley.

  The Advocate will continue to provide updates on this continuing, developing story on Malden Election 2023.