Malden will have a busy municipal election season this fall

Several contested races for Malden City Council and School Committee are on tap

By Steve Freker

  A few prospective candidates for city offices appeared to be playing “beat the clock” this week as for submitting nomination papers and required signatures. But well over 90% of those seeking office have already met the bar — and the Monday, July 28 deadline — so, overall it looks like it will be a very busy municipal election season this fall. Despite the fact that there is no mayoral election this year, with Mayor Gary Christenson in the midst of the four-year term to which he was reelected in 2023, there is still expected to be plenty of “buzz” around this year’s city races.

Last Thursday, July 24, was the deadline for prospective candidates to procure, or “pull,” nomination papers for the elected city posts of Malden City Council or Malden School Committee. At the start of this week, at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 28, it was the deadline to submit the required number of signatures of local registered voters to support the nomination papers.

The chart accompanying this report shows the names of the candidates who had submitted the required signatures to the office of Malden City Clerk Carolann Desiderio (and had them verified) as of July 24. Any signatures turned in by 5:00 Monday this week would have to be in the process of being verified this week. Again, the deadline was Monday and it was unable to be determined by Advocate press time if some of the last few candidates had been able to submit the necessary signatures.

In the Malden City Council race, all 11 incumbent Councillors are seeking reelection in the 2025 municipal election. As it stands before the final verification process, it appears there will be six candidates in the Councillor-at-Large race (which represents residents citywide), including three incumbents and three challengers. Three candidates are elected and will serve on the City Council. At this point, it looks to be a crowded final election in that particular race, as there are, unofficially, six candidates for the three elected Councillor-at-Large spots, including incumbents Craig Spadafora — who is seeking a 12th consecutive two-year term, Karen Colón Hayes and Carey McDonald, both of whom are seeking reelection to third consecutive terms.

The three challengers are Michelle Luong, a Ward 7 resident and former multi-term Malden School Committee representative, and two Ward 4 residents: Mohammad Abu Taba of Mountain Avenue and Solomon Davidoff of Clifton Street. As of press time it was presumed Davidoff has submitted the necessary signatures for nomination, though they had not officially been verified by the City Clerk’s office as of Wednesday.

With six candidates, there will be no need for a preliminary race and all six would appear on the ballot in the final election. It would take a seventh candidate in that race to create a need for a preliminary election.

This year’s Preliminary Election date is Tuesday, September 16, and as of press time it appeared that there were just two races that will require preliminaries: in the Ward 6 Councillor race and in the Ward 4 School Committee race. Four candidates have emerged for Ward 6 Councillor, and three had the required signatures verified by press time: incumbent Ward 6 Councillor Stephen P. Winslow and three challengers: Jerry Leone of Webster Street, Kevin Larson of Bowman Street and William Muise of Columbia Street.

Leone is a former Ward 6 School Committee member and Larson and Muise are political newcomers. Larson’s signature verification process had not been completed as of press time. Whether it is four candidates or three, there will be a preliminary election for Ward 6 Councillor. The top two vote-getters will advance to the final General Election on Tuesday, November 4.

The same is the case for Ward 4 School Committee. Two-time incumbent Dawn Macklin moved her residence from Ward 4 to Ward 2 on Summer Street and launched a candidacy in that Ward. Challengers for the now open seat are former Ward 4 Councillor Jeffrey A. Donahue of Tremont Street and newcomers Abeer Annab of Mountain Avenue and Katzia M. Small of Exchange Street. The top two vote-getters of the three candidates will face off in the General Election on November 4.

As for the other School Committee races, three incumbents are running unopposed and will be reelected in November: Elizabeth Hortie (Ward 5), seeking a second term; Vice Chair Jennnifer Spadafora (Ward 3) and Sharyn Rose-Zeiberg (Ward 8) do not have challengers. Incumbent Michael Drummey (Ward 1) will be opposed by first-time candidate Kimberly Gillette of Tufts Street, pending verification of her signatures; incumbent Robert S. McCarthy Jr. (Ward 2) faces a challenge from Dawn Macklin, pending her signatures’ verification; two candidates have emerged for the Ward 6 seat vacated by Joseph Gray — the only incumbent in either race to not seek reelection. They are political newcomers Peter Piazza of Manley Terrace and Amy Abushanab of Pagum Street. Incumbent Keith Bernard (Ward 7) faces opposition by former state representative candidate Nichole D. Mossalam, pending signature verification for both.

In the City Council race, six candidates are running unopposed in their respective ward races and will be reelected in the November General Election. They are Paul Condon (Ward 2), who may surpass 40 years in elected office when he finishes his next term; Council President Amanda Linehan (Ward 3), Ryan O’Malley (Ward 4), Ari Taylor (Ward 5), Chris Simonelli (Ward 7) and Jadeane Sica (Ward 8). Along with the Ward 6 Councillor race, there is a contested seat for Ward 1 Councillor, where incumbent Peg Crowe faces a challenger in Bryn Garrity of Perkins Street.

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In order to vote in the Preliminary Election, Ward 4 and Ward 6 voters must be registered by 5:00 p.m. on September 6. To vote in the November 4 General Election, voters must be registered to vote by October 25.

MALDEN ELECTION CALENDAR

—May 6, nomination papers available from the City Clerk’s Office

—July 24, 5:00 p.m., last day and hour to obtain nomination papers from the City Clerk’s

Office

—July 28, 5:00 p.m., last day and hour to submit nomination papers to the Registrar of

Voter’s Office for certification

—August 11, 5:00 p.m., last day and hour to file certified nomination papers with the City Clerk’s Office

—August 13, 5:00 p.m., last day and hour for filing withdrawals from nomination for the preliminary or objections to nomination

—September 6, 5:00 p.m., close of registration for the preliminary

—September 8, 5:00 p.m., first campaign finance statement due for those School Committee candidates who have a preliminary

—September 16, PRELIMINARY

—September 22, 5:00 p.m., last day and hour to withdraw from nomination at the preliminary or

petition for a recount of votes or, if a preliminary is not held, to withdraw from nomination for the final election

—October 25, 5:00 p.m., close of registration for election

—October 27, 5:00 p.m., second campaign finance statement due for School Committee candidates

—November 4, ELECTION

—November 17, 5:00 p.m., last day and hour to petition for recount of votes at election

—January 20, 2026, Annual campaign finance statement due for all candidates who have an active

committee and/or open bank account