Council hopefuls spreading the word
Council candidate
Deborah Fallon.
With a primary election scheduled for Sept. 15, challengers vying for three at-large seats on the City Council are using different methods to ensure their supporters come out to the polls.
Eight candidates are on the primary ballot for the seats, including incumbents Gregory Lucey and Craig Spadafora. Some of their lesser-known challengers say they're working round-the-clock to get voters revved up for September. The top six vote-getters will advance to the general election in November.
"My group is really out there on a grass-roots level," said at-large candidate Deborah Fallon, who lives on Woodland Road in Ward 3. "We've been door knocking since June."
Fallon said she combs the city every night with at least a dozen volunteers to talk with residents. She also plans to run newspaper ads and distribute pamphlets and bumper stickers, but isn't sure about the bottom line.
"Good Lord, I don't know," she said when asked about her campaign's budget. She says she prefers going door-to-door to fund-raising. "I'm not someone who's chasing after the dollar."
She said she is someone who wants to restore funding for social service agencies that have faced cuts locally and at the state level. She's dealt with the cuts personally as the leader of Portal to Hope, an advocacy group for battered women.
"The fiscal crisis is hurting programs in the community," she said.
At-large candidate David D'Arcangelo also knocks on doors, but he prefers to go it alone.
"My campaign committee doesn't knock on doors, I knock on doors," he said. "Voters want to hear from the candidate."
And when he talks with them, D'Arcangelo hands out "I Love Malden" pins as a keepsake.
"I've given out thousands of those," he said.
D'Arcangelo said his campaign has raised about $16,000 for print advertising, pins, signs, and literature. But he's ultimately banking on his platform.
"At the end of the day, everybody will have their signs up, but it's about [who has] the best ideas to move Malden forward," said D'Arcangelo, a former aide to state Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei.
D'Arcangelo's ideas include cost-saving measures such as improving energy efficiency in city buildings.
At-large candidate John Torosian wants to curb irresponsible development in the city, among other priorities. As for campaign strategy, he's taking a hands-off approach.
"There is no strategy," he said. "It's about intelligence. Hopefully people will want someone different in there. Someone for the people, not for the [lies]."
The retired MBTA worker said he has no campaign volunteers, no door knocking sprees under his belt - accept for his signature drive to get on the ballot - and about $200 to spend on print ads and signs, which he plans to roll out soon. He noted that as a retiree, he could devote all of his time to city issues.
"This'll be a full-time gig for me."
The other challengers for the at-large seats are former Ward 4 Councilor Jeffrey Allen Donahue, Claremont Street resident Bryan O'Boyle, and Alcott Park resident Augustine Paolini Jr. Attempts to reach them on Wednesday were unsuccessful.
Attorney John Matheson, who replaced Paul Anderson as an at-large councilor in July, is running for the Ward 3 seat in November.
Council candidate David D'Arcangelo.
Waiting for Twitter to feed in the latest...