Town Election 2025

Board of Selectmen and School Committee races each feature a field of nine candidates; three seek a seat on the Housing Authority

By Mark E. Vogler

The Board of Selectmen, School Committee and Housing Authority races are expected to all be competitive. Meanwhile, two of the 10 Town Meeting precincts will have all of their candidates elected because they could only field five candidates to run for the five seats. That’s what’s in store for voters in this year’s Town Elections set for Nov. 4. Town Clerk Ellen Schena released a complete list of the candidates who will be on the election ballot after the Board of Registrars certified the signatures on all of the nomination papers.

Candidates still have a chance to back out of their respective elections by 5 p.m. Oct. 2. The drawing of the ballot positions will take place in the second floor auditorium of Saugus Town Hall at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 2. The last day to register for this year’s elections is Oct. 25, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Saugus Public Library.

This year’s Board of Selectmen’s race features four incumbent members – Board Chair Debra Panetta, Vice Chair Jeffrey Cicolini and Selectmen Anthony Cogliano and Michael Serino. The five challengers are former Saugus Selectman Jennifer Elaine D’Eon, School Committee Chair Vincent Serino and Town Meeting Members Stacey Marie Herman-Dorant and Frank Federico, as well as Sandro Pansini Souza.

The School Committee election features a competitive race after incumbent Members Thomas Whittredge and Ryan P. Fisher decided to pull nomination papers in the final week before the deadline. Stephanie Lauren Mastrocola is the other incumbent committee member seeking reelection this year. There are six challengers – two of them are former School Committee members – Joseph Dennis Gould and Arthur Grabowski. The other candidates in the race are Shannon McCarthy, Roberto F. Bruzzese, Brian Joseph Doherty and Andrew T. Finn.

The Housing Authority featured a four-candidate race until longtime incumbent William Stewart failed to turn in his nomination papers. Now, it’s a three-way competition between Town Meeting Members Kristi Talagan and John George Chipouras and challenger Darlene Marie L’Heureux.

Also on the ballot are the Town Meeting races: 45 of the 50 incumbent Town Meeting Members have filed nomination papers, indicating an interest in running for another two-year term. There are 22 challengers this year. There will be no competition for Precincts 2 and 8, as only five candidates are competing for the five seats. Everyone on the respective ballots will get elected. Here is the precinct by precinct breakdown.

PRECINCT ONE: All five incumbents – Stacey Marie Herman-Dorant, Sue Palomba, Susan C. Dunn, Mark J. Bell and John J. O’Brien – will run for reelection. Former Precinct 8 Town Meeting Member Thomas E. Traverse will be running in a new precinct this year after moving to a new home. Other challengers are Ashley L. Nichols and Jillian R. Lauziere.

PRECINCT TWO: Peter A. Rossetti, Jr., Robert J. Camuso, Jeanette E. Meredith and Matthew David Parlante seek reelection. Joseph Stephen Malone is the lone challenger, but will win a seat for lack of competition.

PRECINCT THREE: All five incumbents are seeking reelection: Leonard Joseph Ferrari, Jr.; Mark Victor Sacco; Daniel I. Schena; Arthur David Connors, Jr. and Richard Edward Thompson. Amanda Kay Ostrow Mason and Marissa Lee Demonte are the challengers.

PRECINCT FOUR: All five incumbents are seeking reelection: Robert J. Long, Stephanie M. Shalkoski, Maureen Whitcomb, Glen R. Davis and Stephen N. Doherty. Former Town Meeting Member Robert C. Northrop and Joseph Nicholas DiFilippo are the challengers.

PRECINCT FIVE: All five incumbents are seeking another term: Pamela J. Goodwin, Jaclyn Annette Hickman, Ronald Mark Wallace, Brenton H. Spencer and Mark S. Panetta. The challengers are Joshua L. Dellheim, Karli McConaghy Brazis and Lori Ann Fauci.

PRECINCT SIX: Four of the incumbents seek reelection: Jeanie M. Bartolo, Allen V. Panico, Kevin D. Currie and Karen Rakinic. There are three challengers: Alicia Rita Bonito, Elizabeth A. Marchese and Carla Jan Moschella..

PRECINCT SEVEN: There are four incumbents running: Frank V. Federico, Michael J. Paolini, Stephen F. McCarthy and John George Chipouras. There are three challengers: Sandro Pansini Souza, Aja Marie Arsenault and Phillip T. Gill.

PRECINCT EIGHT: There are four incumbents: Anthony J. Lopresti, William Edward Cross III, Darren R. McCullough and Arthur Grabowski. Kristi A. Talagan, who finished an unexpired term this year, is the lone challenger. All five candidates will get reelected for lack of opposition.

PRECINCT NINE: Four incumbents are running for reelection: Judith A. Worthley, Daniel Kelly, Katrina L. Berube and John S. Cottam. There are two challengers: Jaime Leigh Lincoln and Nicole Ashley Parziale.

PRECINCT TEN: All five incumbents are seeking another term: Peter Z. Manoogian, Sr.; Carla A. Scuzzarella; Peter Delios, Jr.; Martin J. Costello and Darren Steven Ring. There are two challengers: James A. Tozza and Jenna Rose Nuzzo.