Malden State Rep. Donato faces two challengers in State Primary Election

Special to the Advocate

Longtime 35th Middlesex District state Rep. Paul Donato is seeking a 13th consecutive term in the Massachusetts House of Representatives this year and faces two challengers in the Tuesday, September 3 State Primary Election. Rep. Donato, whose 35th District includes parts of Malden and Medford, is seeking his 13th consecutive term this year as one of the longest-serving legislators in the State House, having first been elected in 2000. The 35th Middlesex consists of Ward 1, Ward 3 Precincts 1A and 3, Ward 7 Precincts 1 and 3A, of the city of Malden, and Ward 1, Ward 2, Ward 3 Precinct 1, Ward 6 Precinct 2A, Ward 7 Precinct 2, and Ward 8 Precinct 1, of the city of Medford.

Rep. Donato faces two challengers in the Democratic side of the ballot in Tuesday’s Primary. Since there are no challengers on the Republican ballot, the winner of the three-candidate Primary race will be elected in the November election. On Tuesday, the challengers to Donato, who is a resident of 48 Maurice St., Medford, are Nichole Dawen Mossalam, 64 Essex Street, Malden, and Zayda Ortiz, 58 Almont St., Malden.

Mossalam will be challenging for the 35th Middlesex seat for the third consecutive election, as Rep. Donato prevailed in both the 2022 and 2020 elections. Ortiz is a first-time office seeker. In 2022, Donato prevailed in one of the closest state elections in Malden history, a razor-thin victory by 62 votes in over 3,000 votes cast. Mossalam, for the second consecutive election, won out in her home city of Malden by a 935-767 margin, while Donato was the winner in the city of Medford vote. Combined, Donato eked out the win. In Mossalam’s first attempt at the office in 2020, she still finished by just a 55-41 percent margin.

Donato has served for some 40 years total as a local and state legislator – also serving for a number of terms as a Medford City Councilor in the 1980s and early 1990s, as well as two terms as Mayor of Medford under the former Plan E/Town Manager form of government there in the 1980s. For a number of years, he held lofty posts in the Mass. House leadership under several House Speakers.

Just 21 percent of the 35th Middlesex voters in Malden cast ballots in 2022. Primary Day being the day after a major holiday weekend – Labor Day – most certainly will not aid the turnout numbers, either locally or statewide.

Other Malden state Representatives on the ballot, running unopposed, are Reps. Steven Ultrino and Katherine Lipper-Garabedian and state Sen. Jason Lewis (D-5th Middlesex). Also running unopposed are U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark (D-5th District), Governor’s Councillor Terrence Kennedy and Register of Deeds Maria Curtatone.

In Malden, polls are open from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 3. Malden Public Schools are closed that day for teacher professional development.

Following are the locations of Malden polling places to vote at:

WARD 1

Ward 1, Precinct 1— Ferryway School Cafeteria, 150 Cross St., Malden

Ward 1, Precinct 2— Ferryway School Cafeteria, 150 Cross St., Malden

Ward 1, Precinct 3—Ferryway School Cafeteria, 150 Cross St., Malden

WARD 2

Ward 2, Precinct 1—Community Room, 189 Pearl St.

Ward 2, Precinct 2—Irish American, Main Hall (Left), 177 West St.

Ward 2, Precinct 3—Irish American, Main Hall (Right), 177 West St.

WARD 3

Ward 3, Precinct 1—Beebe School, K-4 Gym,401 Pleasant St.

Ward 3, Precinct 1A— Beebe School, K-4 Gym, 401 Pleasant St.

Ward 3, Precinct 2— Beebe School, Music Room, 401 Pleasant St.

Ward 3, Precinct 3— Beebe School, Music Room, 401 Pleasant St.

WARD 4

Ward 4, Precinct 1— Early Learning Center Gym (Left), 257 Mountain Ave.

Ward 4, Precinct 2—Senior Center, Auditorium, 17 Washington St.

Ward 4, Precinct 3—ELC Gym (Right), 257 Mountain Ave.

WARD 5

Ward 5, Precinct 1—Salemwood School Fieldhouse Cafeteria (Left), 529 Salem St.

Ward 5, Precinct 2—Forestdale School Cafeteria (Left), 74 Sylvan St.

Ward 5, Precinct 3—Forestdale School Cafeteria (Center), 74 Sylvan St.

Ward 5, Precinct 3A— Forestdale School Cafeteria (Right), 74 Sylvan St.

WARD 6

Ward 6, Precinct 1—630 Salem St. Community Room, 630 Salem St.

Ward 6, Precinct 2—Club 24, Members Room, 787 Salem St.

Ward 6, Precinct 3—Malden Moose, Main Hall, 562 Broadway

WARD 7

Ward 7, Precinct 1—Ferryway School, Library Lobby, 150 Cross St.

Ward 7, Precinct 2—DAV Building, 85 Willow St.

Ward 7, Precinct 3—Suffolk Manor, Community Room, 312 Bryant St.

Ward 7, Precinct 3A—Suffolk Manor, Community Room, 312 Bryant St.

WARD 8

Ward 8, Precinct 1—Linden School Cafeteria (Left), 29 Wescott St.

Ward 8, Precinct 2—Linden School, Cafeteria (Center), 29 Wescott St.

Ward 8, Precinct 3—Linden School, Cafeteria (Right), 29 Wescott St.