Spirited contests shaping up in Newton
With less than two weeks left for prospective candidates to take out nomination papers, Newton appears poised to fill more than half of the fall city ballot with competitive races.
Observers say the crowded fields for the Board of Aldermen, School Committee, and mayor’s office stem from a sense of change in the air, along with open seats that create opportunities for newcomers who might be wary about trying to oust an incumbent.
“I think it’s great,’’ said Terry Yoffie, president of the local League of Women Voters. “I think people see it’s an opportunity because there are a lot of things changing. We’re getting a new mayor, a new schools superintendent, and I think they feel that they would like to engage at this point in their lives.’’
“I think there are people who are interested in serving because they’d like to see some things done differently, so I wouldn’t rule that out as a motive,’’ said R. Lisle Baker, the president of the Board of Aldermen, who so far has no opponent vying for his seat. “But I think what you’re seeing is a pattern where the open seats tend to create opportunities.’’
Candidates have until July 24 to pull nomination papers and until July 28 to submit them. But based on the number of people who had taken out papers as of last week, the city can expect to see contested races for three of the eight ward alderman seats, 10 of the 16 at-large alderman seats, and six of the eight seats on the School Committee.
That’s in addition to a hotly contested four-way mayoral race.
Regardless of how the elections shake out, the Board of Aldermen and the School Committee will each see at least three new faces because of incumbents not running for reelection.
“I think there’s both significantly more candidates this year than two years ago, and I think it’s a better crop of candidates,’’ said Jeff Seideman. He is running for one of two at-large alderman seats in Ward 7, against Citizen Advisory Group vice chairwoman Ruthanne Fuller and incumbent Sydra Schnipper.
Seideman said Newton for Fiscal Responsibility, a group he cofounded to oppose a $12 million override of Proposition 2 1/2 last year, and other citizen groups in the city have encouraged people to run for office this year.
“There’s a dynamic, much more so than ever before, of civic activity,’’ said Seideman, a teacher at Massachusetts Bay Community College and Northeastern University.
This year, Alderman Verne Vance’s decision not to stand for reelection created a vacancy in the Ward 7 at-large race, and Aldermen Paul Coletti and Ken Parker are running for mayor, leaving two more open spots on the board. Term limits prevent School Committee chairman Marc Laredo and member Dori Zaleznik from seeking reelection, and member Susan Heyman has announced she won’t run again.
Each of the open seats is expected to be contested.
“I think the combination of no incumbent for the mayor, a recession, and the Newton North issue has increased awareness of and concern about the city,’’ said Fuller, adding she did not contemplate a run until Vance mentioned he was going to retire and encouraged her to run. “Even if you asked me three months ago if I’d be running for office, I’d have said, Are you kidding?’ ”
“I think there are a number of people who wouldn’t have gone up against an incumbent, or at least would have thought twice about it,’’ acknowledged Sue Flicop, who is running against Matt Hills for Laredo’s seat.
But Margaret Albright, who along with Zygmunt Choroszy is challenging Ward 2 School Committee member Reenie Murphy, said she didn’t feel apprehensive taking on an incumbent.
“I have ideas,’’ Albright said. “I want to get my voice out there. I don’t understand why people don’t run’’ against incumbents.
Murphy, who ran unopposed in the last two elections, said there’s at least one advantage to being challenged. “The good thing about having an opponent is you are forced to articulate your positions,’’ she said.
The preliminary election on Sept. 15 will narrow the number of candidates for mayor, each ward alderman seat, and each School Committee seat to two and will narrow the number of candidates for each pair of at-large alderman seats to four.
Candidates who survive the preliminary election will face off in the Nov. 3 general election. 