Low voter turnout elects Keefe mayor in tight race

New council and school board members gain seats

By Barbara Taormina

Acting mayor Patrick Keefe is now Mayor-elect Patrick Keefe after coming out on top in a tight race with Councillor-At-Large and former mayor Dan Rizzo in Tuesday’s election.

According to results posted by the Elections commission, 9,653 people or 31.27 percent of registered voters turned out at the polls. Keefe ended the night with 4,929 votes or just over 51 percent of the total while Rizzo captured 4,561 votes or just over 47 percent.

The new high school was a key issue in the contentious campaign with Keefe favoring a new high school at Wonderland and Rizzo supporting the plan to build on the existing site.

Keefe did well throughout the wards and in particular Ward 4 which he represented for years as a city councillor and Ward 3, the location of Revere High. Rizzo had pockets of strong support in wards 5 and 6.

“I’m so proud of you, Revere,” said Keefe during a brief appearance on Revere TV Tuesday night.

While voters opted to stay the course in the mayoral race there will be significant changes on the city council. Incumbents Marc Silvestri and Anthony Zambuto came out in front in the At-Large race and Ward 1 incumbent and City Council President Pro Tempore Joanne McKenna and incumbent Ward 2 Councillor Ira Novoselsky all won their races.

“I’m thrilled, I worked hard for this…I was very surprised and pleased with the numbers,” said McKenna during about election night interview with Revere TV. McKenna captured 63 percent of the ward’s 1,500 votes. Opponent John Stamatopoulous ended the night with 402 votes or nearly 27 percent.

The Ward 2 race between incumbent Ira Novoselsky and challenger Danielle Osterman was much closer but Ward 2 gave Novoselsky more than 48 percent of their vote. Osterman finished with 42.5 percent of the ward’s vote or 47 votes behind Novoselsky.

Revere elected three new At-Large councillors, Robert Haas, Jr., Juan Pablo Jaramillo and Michelle Kelly.

Silvestri, who topped the At-Large vote throughout the city said the results, which some have pointed out reflect the city’s increasing diversity, was exciting and showed the city taking steps in the right direction.

In the wards, Anthony Cogliandro and retired police officer Chris Giannino who both ran unopposed will represent Ward 3 and Ward 6.

Public Works Director Paul Argenzio won an easy victory in Ward 4 over opponent Gregory Murray with more than 60 percent of the 673 votes cast.

In Ward 5, Angela Guarino Sawaya defeated longtime incumbent John Powers. On election night, Sawaya graciously thanked Powers for his many years of service on the council and the ward 5 residents. Sawaya said she looked forward to working with Powers in the future and to having him as a mentor.

On the School Committee side of the ballot incumbent John Kingston topped the vote. Revere voters also returned incumbents Stacey Bronson-Rizzo, Aisha Milbury-Ellis and Jacqueline Monterrosso to the committee. They will be joined by new committee members Anthony Caggiano and Anthony Mattera.