Town Election 2025 – Candidates know their places on the Nov. 4 ballot after their names were drawn from a wooden hexagonal cylinder

By Mark E. Vogler

Veteran Saugus School Committee Member Ryan Fisher said he had already made a decision not to run for a fourth two-year term. But his name was selected from the wooden hexagonal cylinder to be the top name on the Nov. 4 election ballot for the School Committee candidates. As soon as Fisher’s name was read, Town Clerk Ellen Schena notified the gathering of political candidates in the second floor auditorium at Town Hall that it was a mistake because the veteran School Committee Member had already given official notice that he had already pulled out of the race.

“I got to cross being first on the ballot off my bucket list for about five seconds, although I had just pulled in the driveway when the texts started rolling in and was pretty confused,” Fisher told The Saugus Advocate later.

“I told my wife and she thought I got back into the race without telling her. That took explaining,” he said.

Shannon McCarthy was temporarily the next candidate up. But the name for one of the seven other candidates running in the race wasn’t drawn. That required another drawing for the School Committee candidates. This time, veteran School Committee Member Thomas Whittredge – a former two-time chair – had his name drawn. Incumbent School Committee Member Stephanie Lauren Mastrocola was followed by former School Committee Members Joseph D. Gould and Arthur Grabowski, and candidates Brian Joseph Doherty, Andrew T. Finn, Shannon McCarthy and Roberto F. Bruzzese.

There’s always great interest among the candidates when it comes to the formal drawing of the ballot positions for a town election. Some candidates think it gives them an edge for voters to see their name first. Candidates whose names are drawn first in a particular election race like to cite it in their campaign literature, while other candidates whose names are placed lower on the ballot also like to cite the placement for logistical reasons so their supporters will know where to look when they vote.

“I genuinely don’t think ballot placement has any impact unless it’s a very close election,” Fisher told The Saugus Advocate. “We’ve had candidates on the bottom of the ballot top the ticket and I remember one candidate at the top who finished last. A handful of people might give you a second thought if they see your name up there, but that’s about it. It’s fun though!”

The wooden box that spins for the candidates’ names being drawn looks like something that the late Carmine Moschella, the town’s legendary woodworker, may have crafted. Moschella made some significant woodwork for the town over the years, including the Board of Selectmen’s table and the lectern in the Town Hall Auditorium.

“I have absolutely NO history on the box,” Town Clerk Schena said.

“I just inherited it from the past Town Clerk Joanne Rappa. She used to use wooden tongue sticks with names on it. I stopped that after my first year because the lock can be faulting and the sticks would come flying out,” the town clerk said. “I now use old camera film containers with the candidates’ name printed out on paper. Easier to read.”

Former Selectman D’Eon wins top place

There are nine people running in this year’s race for Board of Selectmen – four of them incumbents.

Former Selectman Jennifer Elaine D’Eon has been off the board for nearly six years (three terms). So, she may get a boost for having her name atop the field of candidates for the five Board of Selectmen seats.

Meanwhile, the name placement is not going to matter a lot for Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Carol Panetta, who will be seventh on the ballot, or Selectman Anthony William Cogliano, whose name will appear sixth on the list. Over the past several elections, Panetta and Cogliano have proven to be prolific vote-getters.

Here’s the remaining placement of candidates: Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Jeffrey V. Cicolini finished runner-up, followed by former selectman candidate Sandro Pansini Souza at third. This year Saugus voters will have to consider two candidates with the same last name running for Selectman. School Committee Chair Vincent Angelo Serino will be fourth on the ballot, followed by incumbent Selectman Michael James Serino in the fifth spot. Town Meeting Members Stacey Marie Herman-Dorant and Frank V. Federico will be placed eighth and ninth, respectively.

In the three-candidate race for a four-year term on the Saugus Housing Authority, the placement of candidates’ names to fill the seat vacated by William Stewart will be Town Meeting Member John George Chipouras and Kristi A. Talagan, followed by candidate Darleen Marie L’Heureux.

Town Meeting candidates’ name placements

Here’s the order of placement for the candidates running for the 50 Town Meeting seats up for grabs in the 10 precincts:

Precinct 1: *Assunta A. Palomba, *Stacey Marie Herman-Dorant, *John J. O’Brien, Thomas Edward Traverse, Ashley L. Nichols, Jillian R. Lauziere, *Mark John Bell and *Susan C. Dunn.

Precinct 2: Joseph Stephen Malone, *Peter A. Rossetti Jr., *Jeanette Elizabeth Meredith, *Robert James Camuso Sr. and *Matthew David Parlante.

Precinct 3: *Arthur David Connors Jr., *Daniel Ivan Schena, *Richard Edward Thompson, Amanda Kay Ostrow Mason, *Mark Sacco Jr., *Leonard Joseph Ferrari Jr. and Marissa Lee DeMonte.

Precinct 4: *Glen R. Davis, *Maureen Whitcomb, *Robert J. Long, Robert Charles Northrup, *Stephen Doherty, Joseph Nicolas DiFilippo and *Stephanie Marie Shalkoski.

Precinct 5: Joshua L. Dellheim, *Pamela J. Goodwin, *Ronald Mark Wallace, *Brenton H. Spencer, *Jaclyn Annette Hickman, *Mark Stephen Panetta, Lori Ann Fauci and Karli McConaghy Brazis.

Precinct 6: Carla Jan Moschella, *Jean M. Bartolo, *Allen Victor Panico, Alicia Rita Bonito, *Kevin D. Currie, Elizabeth A. Marchese and *Karen Rakinic.

Precinct 7: Phillip T. Gil, *Michael John Paolini, *Frank V. Federico, *John George Chipouras, Aja Marie Arsenault, Sandro Pansini Souza and *Stephen Francis McCarthy.

Precinct 8: *Anthony Joseph LoPresti, *Arthur Grabowski, *Darren R. McCullough, Kristi A. Talagan and *William Edward Cross III.

Precinct 9: *Judith A. Worthley, *John Steven Cottam, *Daniel Kelly, Jaime Leigh Lincoln, Nicole Ashley Parziale and *Katrina L. Berube.

Precinct 10: *Carla Ann Scuzzarella, *Martin J. Costello, James A. Tozza, *Darren Steven Ring, *Peter Delios Jr., Jenna Rose Nuzzo and *Peter Z. Manoogian Sr.

Editor’s Note: An asterisk (*) indicates an incumbent Town Meeting Member.