City Clerk David Olson confirmed via an email to a Village 14 contributor today that Christoper Markiewicz, the mysterious but presumed next Ward 4 City Councilor did not pull his own nomination papers at City Hall.
This means that either someone else gave him a copy of theirs to use or he made his own legally conforming documents, both of which are allowable, but not typical in Newton. (For example, Markewitz was the only Ward 4 candidate who did not follow this tradition. Jay Harney, Lenny Gentile, Josh Krintzman and Diana Fisher Gomberg all pulled their own nomination papers at City Hall.)
Markewitz’ nomination papers were certified by the election commission nearly two weeks ago — Tuesday July 25 — the last day candidates are allowed to file. He filed with the state‘s Office of Campaign and Political Finance on July 26.
But it wasn’t until Aug. 4, that incumbent Jay Harney surprised a lot of folks when he announced his decision not to seek reelection, leaving Markewitz as the only candidate and presumed winner by default.
Even though it’s been nearly two weeks since being certified, Markewitz still does not have a known web site or Facebook page or other online presence. He was the only candidate who did not provide the TAB with a bio or photo for last week’s special section. He did not submit a candidate column to Village 14.
According to Harney’s statement from last week, Harney and fellow councilors Sangiolo and Gentile support his candidacy. But other than that, no one on this blog has posted a comment saying they know him, let alone support him.
Now it’s very possible that I’ve overlooked something, if so please share links in the comments below. And Chris we’d all love to hear from you the most. You can start by telling us who pulled your nomination papers?
Yes, a mystery man. Everyone likes a secret once in a while – like the secret mayoral staircase..
OMG – It’s a Conspiracy – Maybe a Conservative is going to infiltrate the Council!
From the Secret Book of Executive Function: “It is the prerogative of the incoming mayor to change the lock on the secret staircase door”. – do you know of which the only mayor to decline the changing of the lock??
Kathleen Kouril Grieser could have pulled papers for him since she is not running but did pull papers. It could be the NVA has another candidate that they snuck in at the last minute.
Can we get an investigation going? Any security cameras in the Clerk’s office? Sounds like the lead story for tomorrow’s TAB.
Now I’m paranoid that he’s a puppet for NVA. This is so sketchy. I really hope someone steps in and begins a write-in campaign.
We checked with the clerk as well, who told us it could have been anyone who took out the forms. So no video footage . I don’t know that it matters all that much exactly who did take them out, but the fact that Chris Markiewicz collected the signatures, secured a place on the ballot and then Councilor Harney dropped out soon after is at best unusual. We hope to hear from Chris this week and learn more. Mr. Harney seems to be hunkered down and we hope he is well.
The fact that he did not pull his own papers is not in of itself that big of a deal. The fact that he has been entirely illusive (even to the TAB) this whole time is.
I’ve been following Newton politics for a long time. Typically new candidates are tripping over themselves to talk to voters. I’ve never seen anything like this.
Andy I certainly hope the TAB can help us understand how this whole thing happened; who, if anyone, is behind his campaign; and who this guy is.
My best educated guess? Markiewicz had been mulling a run for a while and got on the ballot at the 11th hour as a “safety net” if a wavering Harney eventually didn’t feel up to it, which turned out to be the case. It seems “sneaky,” I understand, and I’m not condoning it. But on the other hand a pro-smart growth candidate (like Brenda Noel in Ward 6) could have stepped up a few months ago to challenge Harney.
Brenda Noel is trying to win her seat the old-fashioned way and new-fangled way: meeting every voter she can and being hyper active on social media. Markiewicz strategy (even before Harney said last Friday he just decided days after the deadline not to run) has been the opposite: Get endorsements from Harney, Sangiolo and Gentile (according to Harney) while camped out underneath Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak.
Chris Markiewicz’ campaign treasurer is Phil Wallas, who was a public opponent of the Rowe Street apartments project that was eventually abandoned by Scott Oran. I think that tells us something, though certainly not everything, about the type of councilor he might be.
Horrors!!!
To think that the NVA might be gaining ground! Might there be something to their message? What can be done ???
Seriously, Blueprintbill, even if — big if — Markiewicz is an NVA candidate who kept his positions concealed and is running unopposed, how would that show any merit to NVA’s message?
This should not be a partisan issue. This guy is about to occupy a seat on our city’s legislative body without any apparent effort to listen to the concerns of voters or tell us what his values are. That’s wrong regardless of where his politics may lean (and let’s remember, we have NO IDEA which way that is).
Residents for Responsible Development in Auburndale, of which I am a member, did oppose a 4 story 150 unit apartment development on the Rowe St. private way, proposing instead a smaller townhouse development. What purpose does it serve to demonize opponents who primarily want to manage growth, not block it?
If you want to know who I am and what I’m about, talk with me.
Philip Wallas
firstname.lastname at gmail
Hi Philip: Thanks for your comment. And no disrespect to you, I think we’re actually more interested in hearing from Chris Markiewicz and are curious why he has been so illusive. As treasurer of his campaign committee perhaps you can join those of us who are encouraging him to start interacting with Newton voters.
And if he’s unwilling, perhaps as his treasurer, you can explain why.
@Greg – sorry to nitpick, but I think you mean “elusive” not “illusive”, unless you think Markiewicz is just an illusion.
Ha ha. @Meredith. You are right but I’m also starting to wonder!
Maybe he’s like the “Captain Tuttle” from the episode of “M*A*S*H” in which Hawkeye and Trapper concoct a fictitious officer to requisition food and supplies for a local orphanage (a parody of the Russian novella “Lieutenant Kijé”). Although no one else in camp actually ever lays eyes on Tuttle, everybody becomes convinced he exists.
[Obligatory video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aepfYMHr674%5D
Phillip, as Greg already articulated, I’m not sure that anyone really wants to know you or your positions … unless you, too, are a candidate. Apparently you are the treasurer of this unknown candidate’s campaign. Honestly, I wish everyone in Ward 4 would just write in Jay Harney or Mickey Mouse…any name, just to cheat this candidate out of this office that he has done NOTHING to earn! What an arrogant being he is to think he deserves to be a councilor just because his friend (I guess?) has dropped out of the race! What a darned shame for Ward 4 to be treated in this shoddy manner.
I think we are smooshing together are two different issues here: the first is whether or not a candidate is “vetted” in a competitive election; the second is whether or not a candidate is actively campaigning. In the first case, I do want to point out that there are three other new-to-office candidates who do not have opponents. While we might all wish all races were competitive, this is not an uncommon happening in Newton. The League of Women Voters of Newton is hoping to have a program in October (??) with these candidates, so that people can hear from them at least a little before the election in November.
@Sue: You are absolutely right. My concern here has always been:
(a) The timing of Harney’s decision to drop out after it was too late for another competitor to consider running AND that fact that Harney and his fellow Ward 4 councilors endorsed Markiewicz in Harney’s drop out announcement, which felt like — heck still feels like — Harney anointing his successor.
(b) Markiewicz total invisibility, which mercifully ended this afternoon.
Of course you are correct, Sue. But again, as Greg pointed out, it’s the timing that bothers me. That is what has “smooched” these issues together.
I happen to agree with Andy Levin, that this very well might have been more of a safety net, with Chris dropping out if Jay stayed in the race. Doesn’t take much to pull papers and run.
And it is possible to hold different thoughts in my head at the same time:
1) Jay was an able member of the council for many years of service, and many folks respect and admire him for that.
2) He could have some personal issues that cause him to need to move on to other endevours and we should respect that.
3) It is possible there was no coordination, and Jay just happens to approve of the person taking over his position as ward councilor.
4) It is possible that there was coordination, but more as a safety net if issue 2 above because reality.
5) It is possible that Jay so cared about his issues and his ward that he wanted to hand pick his succcessor to make sure they agreed with him.
Either way, regarding thought 4 and thought 5 above, I would think what I said from the beginning, what a shame to end your career as a public servant in this manner. I would rather be focusing on thought 1 and thought 2.
It is a hard, thankless job. But no matter how hard Jay worked, no matter how dedicated he has been, if he coordinated with Chris to avoid real competition, it does change how I view him. And if he didn’t coordinate with Chris, Chris should have come out and said so much earlier.
Kind of a shame, all around.
And let’s not lose sight of the issue here folks. This is a bad pattern for the city. I don’t care how Chris will vote at this point and he isn’t in my ward so I can’t vote for him. I do care how he will get elected. Will this be how my ward councilor chooses to pass along the job?
And Philip, I’ll be happy to talk to you about an election as soon as you run for one. Where is your candidate?
Sorry..Newbie question here: I went to the National Vulvodynia Association (NVA) website (www.nva.org) to learn why they would be trying to sneak another candidate into the race but couldn’t find anything. Can someone here enlighten me? Aren’t all the candidates running opposed to vulvodynia?
Newbie: Newton Village Alliance. Or Newbie Village Alliance. Take your pick.
Honestly? I am in ward 4, and between this and his website I will be leaving that race blank – he does not have my vote and I will be following the TAB and my neighbourhood mailing list to determine if anyone is planning to run against his as a write-in/sticker campaign.
Also, I think this may have been the thing to tip me firmly to “yes” on the charter revisions – if all three of my so-called reps can endorse this nonsense I don’t want any of them.
*Markiewicz
Look on the bright side, Ward 4. An unknown candidate getting off to a late and barely visible start leaves the door wide open for a well-organized write-in campaign to succeed. Meanwhile, here in Ward 6, our two at-large incumbents are running unopposed. Again. Not a whole lot of nail-biting democratic suspense hanging on that race. Would downsizing the council help? Not necessarily. Our incumbent School Committee member is also unopposed, for one of only eight seats.
Yes Amanda: But Ward 6 is also home to one of, if not the, most interesting down ticket contests in the city between Dick Blazer and Brenda Noel. I’m envious.