~ ELECTION 2025 ~ No primary as ballots set for November General Election

By Neil Zolot

The field is set for Election Day Tuesday, November 4. There won’t be a preliminary election or primary because the slates for Mayor, City Council and School Committee contain only two or fewer candidates per seat. “The field is not overly crowded,” City Clerk Sergio Cornelio feels. “A crowded field would mean there’d be at least one primary.”
The only wrinkle is whether former Ward 3 Councillor Darren Costa will run for a City Council or School Committee seat at-Large. “You can pull papers and be certified for more than one race, but can only run in one,” Cornelio explained. “He has until August 6 to decide.”
The headlining race is for Mayor. Multi-term office holder Carlo DeMaria is running for reelection against challenger Ward 5 Councillor Robert Van Campen. “I always welcome the opportunity elections present to highlight all the work we are doing for Everett residents,” DeMaria said. “I’m passionate about continuing to improve our community, because Everett is my home and the place my wife Stacy and I have chosen to raise our family. It’s an incredible privilege to serve as the mayor of my hometown and I’ll continue to show my appreciation by fighting for the positive future all Everett residents deserve. We want all residents to have the same opportunity to raise their families and spend their lives here. That’s the reason why I’ve been fighting to bring new development and businesses to Everett to increase revenue and job opportunities for our residents. It’s why our team has enhanced Youth Development and Enrichment programs to give young residents practical job skills and work experience. We’re working to build a new high school facility with expanded Technical Education programs that can give students better education and work options. I am leveraging all my experience and relationships I’ve built with the Governor’s Office, with state secretariats and private organizations to advance initiatives that are important to our future like expanded public transit options and investment in public infrastructure. While we continue to pursue all these important large-scale projects and initiatives, we will not lose sight of our core responsibilities to provide efficient city services to keep our streets clean, our neighborhoods safe, and our parks well-maintained for families to enjoy.”
“We’re happy with how the signature drive went and have a lot of helpful volunteers,” DeMaria’s campaign manager, Avery Smith, added. “A lot of small businesses have also been helpful.”
“In just a short time, our campaign collected hundreds of signatures and was the first to quality for the ballot, despite a later start,” Van Campen said. “We’ve knocked on hundreds of doors, connected with voters across the City and are building a growing team of volunteers in every ward. When I decided to run, I committed to a people-powered grassroots campaign for change. A little over a month in, one thing is clear, Everett is ready for the kind of change that puts people first and moves us forward. People are ready for change that improves their lives by fixing our overcrowded schools, tackling traffic, strengthening City services, making Everett more livable for everyone and restoring transparency and trust in City Hall.”
Candidates for five City Council seats at-Large include current at-Large Councillors John Hanlon, Guerline Alcy Jabouin, Michael Marchese, Katy Rogers and Stephanie Smith and Ward 1 Councillor Wayne Matewsky. The other candidates are Matthew Costello, Jean Daniel and Tina Oliveri and possibly Costa.
With Van Campen running for Mayor and Matewsky running at-Large, Ward 1 and 5 seats are open. Candidates for Ward 1 are Michele Capone, wife of former councillor Fred Capone, and former City Councillor and current Assistant City Clerk Peter Napolitano. Candidates for Ward 5 are Joseph Gaff and former Councillor Vivian Nguyen, who was defeated by Van Campen in 2023.
In Ward 2 the candidates are challenger Balwinder Singh Gill and current Councillor Stephanie Martins. In Ward 3 the candidates are current Councillor Anthony DiPierro and Maria Russell. In Ward 4 the candidates are current Councillor Holly Garcia and Cynthia Salazar.
In Ward 6 the race is a rematch of the 2023 election, when challenger Peter Pietrantonio defeated incumbent Alfred Lattanzi. This year the roles are reversed.
For three School Committee seats at-Large, the candidates include incumbents Kristin Bairos, Chair Samantha Hurley and Joseph LaMonica. Other candidates include James Booker, Cardello and possibly Costa. For Ward 2 the candidates are incumbent Joanna Garren and Jason Marcus. For Ward 6 the candidates are incumbent Joseph D’Onofrio and former School Committee member Thomas Abruzzese. Ward 1 member Margaret Cornelio, Ward 3 member Jeanne Cristiano, Ward 4 member Robin Babcock and Ward 5 member Marcony Almeida Barros will all be running unopposed.