WESTFIELD – The deadline for candidates to return nomination papers for validation of signatures by the Board of Registrars came at 5 p.m. yesterday with a few interesting turns and twists.
One interesting turn is that there will be no need for a costly citywide preliminary as one of three people who took out mayoral nomination papers chose not to return those document. James A. Williams, Sr., of Madison Street dropped out of the race, leaving only incumbent Daniel M. Knapik and challenger Michael L. Roeder to contest that post.
Nor will the race for the seven City Council at-large seats require a city-wide preliminary, at a cost of about $30,000, as only 12 candidates returned nomination papers for validation by the board. Incumbent Kevin Harraghy never pulled nomination papers, opening up at least one seat to the field of candidates which has six current members seeking reelection in November and six new candidates seeking to take a City Council at-large seat.
One candidate for an at-large seat is also a candidate for the Ward 2 post. Daniel J. Allie has filed nomination papers for both posts and the signatures for both have been validated by the Board of Registrars. Allie must declare which of the two he will seek by Aug. 22.
Allie’s decision will have no impact on the att-large process since a preliminary election is only triggered if 15 or more candidates submit nomination papers which are verified by the board. However, if Allie declares for the Ward 2 post, it would trigger the need for a preliminary in that ward.
There are currently three validated Ward 2 candidates, Allie, Ralph J. Figy and Carl Vincent. Incumbent Ward 2 councilor Brian Winters did not return nomination papers.
There will be races in all of the City Council ward contests, except Ward 6 in which Christopher Crean is running for re-election unopposed.
Ward 1 has Christopher Keefe facing a challenge from Mary Ann Babinski, while in Ward 5 incumbent Richard E. Onofrey Jr., will be challenged by Robert A. Paul Sr., the long-time Ward 2 Municipal Light Board member who was unable to seek another term because of the change in ward boundaries resulting from the 2010 federal census report.
The Ward 3 contest ended yesterday when two of the three candidates to pull nomination papers, did not return those documents for validation. The November ballot will have only one name, Brian R. Hoose, listed for that post.
Ward 4 is another contest that may require a preliminary election as three of the four candidates returned nomination papers. Incumbent Mary L. O’Connell will face challenges from John J. Michaleszyn and Michael J. Burns.
The election to fill three School Committee seats will occur in November as only four candidates returned nomination papers.
The majority of the Municipal Light Board races, with one notable exception, are uncontested. That one exception, to fill Robert A. Paul’s Ward 2 seat, will be contested in November as only two of the three candidates who took nomination papers returned those documents by the end of the day yesterday.
The contest will pit a current and former member of the Planning Board as Ray Rivera and Lynn F. Boscher vie for the Ward 2 seat.
Though the city will not have to spend on a preliminary election, the resignation of Senator Mike Knapik on Friday will trigger yet another special election for a legislative seat.
In addition to the US Senate race won by Sen. Edward Markey, taxpayers this year are footing the bill for seven special legislative elections, including three that are ongoing, to replace lawmakers who have left for other jobs or to seek higher office. A special election to fill Knapik’s seat would be the eighth legislative special election.
Senate President Therese Murray will set dates for that primary election and general election.
Deadline to register to vote for the preliminary election is Wed., Sept 4, by 8 p.m. and the deadline to register for the Nov. 5 general election is Wed. Oct 16.
