Ward 4 Councillor O’Malley elected City Council President

Unanimous vote puts five-term Councillor into top spot for 2025

By Steve Freker

MALDEN – Ryan O’Malley will serve as the Malden City Council President in 2025, it was determined at this week’s final Council meeting of the calendar year. O’Malley, who was reelected to his fifth term in 2023, was ushered into the Council’s top post by a 9-0 vote at Tuesday night’s meeting.

For the first time in several such elections, the Ward 4 Councillor was the only candidate nominated and voted on by the members. After outgoing Council President Stephen Winslow (Ward 6) formally opened nominations for Council President for 2025, Ward 2 Councillor Paul Condon – the most senior Councillor – nominated O’Malley for Council President. The nomination was seconded by Ward 8 Councillor Jadeane Sica.

The vote putting O’Malley in the Council President’s post was unanimous. Voting in favor were Councillors Peg Crowe (Ward 1), Condon, Amanda Linehan (Ward 3), O’Malley, Winslow, Sica, Karen Colón Hayes (at large), Carey McDonald (at large) and Craig Spadafora (at large). Ward 5 Councillor Ari Taylor and Ward 7 Councillor Chris Simonelli were not in attendance.

At the end of the meeting, during the personal privilege portion, Councillor O’Malley thanked his colleagues. “I want to say thank you to everyone for your vote. It means a lot to me,” O’Malley said.

Ward 8 Councillor Sica added, “I honestly believe it is your time to serve as Council President this year. Councillor O’Malley has grown a lot this year and will make a fantastic Council President.”

“I look forward to serving with you next year,” Councillor Sica added.

Councillor O’Malley was first elected to the City Council in 2015, the youngest member at the time and the youngest member still. A Malden High School graduate, O’Malley is now a law student at Boston College Law School.

He previously sought the Council President post, but this time around he secured strong support with no opposition. His first meeting to bang the gavel will be on Tuesday, January 7, 2025.