Here’s the list of certified candidates who will appear on the Municipal Preliminary Ballot on Tuesday Sept. 12, with the top-2 candidates proceeded to the November finals.
| Office | Ward | Candidate Name |
| Ward Councilor | 1 | Franco Cedrone |
| Ward Councilor | 1 | Maria S. Greenberg |
| Ward Councilor | 1 | Siobhan Cunningham |
| Mayor | – | Amy Mah Sangiolo |
| Mayor | – | Al Cecchinelli |
| Mayor | – | Eli Katzoff |
| Mayor | – | Geoffrey Woodward |
| Mayor | – | Richard Saunders |
| Mayor | – | Ruthanne Fuller |
| Mayor | – | Scott Lennon |
And here’s the
Below is a list of certified candidates who will appear on the Nov. 7 ballot. In addition to the names below, the two candidates for Mayor and Ward 1 Ward Councilor with the most votes in the Sept. 12th Preliminary will also appear on the ballot in November.
| Office | Ward | Candidate Name |
| Councilor-at-Large | 1 | Alison Leary |
| Councilor-at-Large | 1 | Allan Ciccone, Jr. |
| Councilor-at-Large | 1 | Janet Sterman |
| Councilor-at-Large | 1 | Nicole Castillo |
| School Committee | 1 | Bridget Ray-Canada |
| School Committee | 1 | Kathleen Marchi |
| Councilor-at-Large | 2 | Braden J. Houston |
| Councilor-at-Large | 2 | Jake Auchincloss |
| Councilor-at-Large | 2 | Susan Albright |
| School Committee | 2 | Cyrus Karl Vaghar |
| School Committee | 2 | Margaret Albright |
| Ward Councilor | 2 | Emily Norton |
| Councilor-at-Large | 3 | Andrea Kelley |
| Councilor-at-Large | 3 | James Cote |
| Councilor-at-Large | 3 | Julia Malakie |
| School Committee | 3 | Anping Shen |
| School Committee | 3 | Eileen Sandberg |
| Ward Councilor | 3 | Barbara Brousal-Glaser |
| Councilor-at-Large | 4 | Josh Krintzman |
| Councilor-at-Large | 4 | Leonard J. Gentile |
| School Committee | 4 | Diana Fisher Gomberg |
| Ward Councilor | 4 | Christopher Markiewicz |
| Ward Councilor | 4 | Jay Harney |
| Councilor-at-Large | 5 | Andreae Downs |
| Councilor-at-Large | 5 | Brian Yates |
| Councilor-at-Large | 5 | Deborah Crossley |
| School Committee | 5 | Steven Siegel |
| Ward Councilor | 5 | John Rice |
| Councilor-at-Large | 6 | Victoria Danberg |
| Councilor-at-Large | 6 | Greg Schwartz |
| School Committee | 6 | Ruth Goldman |
| Ward Councilor | 6 | Brenda J. Noel |
| Ward Councilor | 6 | Richard Blazar |
| Councilor-at-Large | 7 | Marc Laredo |
| Councilor-at-Large | 7 | Rebecca Walker Grossman |
| School Committee | 7 | Kathleen Shields |
| Ward Councilor | 7 | R. Lisle Baker |
| Councilor-at-Large | 8 | David Kalis |
| Councilor-at-Large | 8 | Richard Lipof |
| School Committee | 8 | Matthew Miller |
| School Committee | 8 | Gail Spector |
| Ward Councilor | 8 | Cheryl Lappin |
…and may the odds be ever in your favor.
This is really exciting and historic, at least in terms of recent history.
I can’t recall a time with so many first time candidates. (Only Sterman, Vagar and Malakie are making a second attempt to win the same seat). Now the burden is on all of us — Newton’s voters — to figure out how to make informed decisions for so many contests.
I know that one of the ways I am going to decide especially in Contested At Large Councilor Races is that I am going to look at the Mass Political Contribution Website to see how many of our Councilors are in the $500.00 Donation Club from Special Interest Groups and NOT vote for them. I will also look at both Councilor and the Mayors Race as to how much money is being donated to a candidate from Outside of Massachusetts . I think that tells you alot about the Candidates and that they are more influenced by outside interests and NOT those of Newton. And of course I will look at how they stand on issues such as taxes, Schools, Streets, health care costs for our employees etc. But Local elections should not be “bought” by outside special interest groups money.
@Joanne: How do you define special interests? Many people have special interests. Would a college president or someone who sits on the board of a homeless shelter, environmental group, a house of worship or other non-profit be a special interest? How about someone who owns a landscape company? A pharmacy? A food truck?
@ Greg- we all have special interests. I donate to a local homeless shelter and specific church organizations. However if someone is running for a City Council position – NOT a Governor or Presidential Office and is getting $500.00 donations not $25.00 or $50.00 donations BUT $500.00 donations from Developers at the same company or members of a specific special interest group – I would think that anyone looking at the contributions might find that a bit concerning. Not only that they are from specific members of special interest groups but also the amount of money that they are donating. Really a City Council candidate getting $500.00 donations and it is NOT a parent,sibling , spouse or relative helping out their campaign?? And if a Mayoral Candidate got almost $40,000 from outside of Massachusetts – wouldn’t you wonder about what is behind all the money? Again it is not a Governor or Presidential Race – it is a Local City Council and Mayors race. I am not voting for those candidates as I would be concerned that if they were elected they would be pushing the agenda of their $500.00 contributors specials interests or developments and not really have at heart what is the best for the City of Newton.
So really Joanne, what you mean is not “special interest” but just “developers.” So why not just say that?
As for the size of the donations, you and I may not have the kind of money that allows us to give $500 to a candidate but others in Newton do. That doesn’t mean those folks are necessarily donating for some sinister reason.
This is really an exciting slate of candidates. It almost restores my hope for the city:).
Tom,
Bless your sweet, optimistic heart, but don’t you say that every election?