From Jenna Fisher at Newton Patch:
Early results show that Alicia Bowman edged out incumbent Greg Schwartz by 30 votes in Ward 6 – where there were 150 write-ins. Schwartz has not yet conceded.
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From Jenna Fisher at Newton Patch:
Early results show that Alicia Bowman edged out incumbent Greg Schwartz by 30 votes in Ward 6 – where there were 150 write-ins. Schwartz has not yet conceded.
Crazy Divers: Men be like...
drivers man be like
Will he ask for a reVOTE if he loses the recount? History suggests he might.
A sad day. He loses to a woman committed to the elimination of single family zoning !???
Hang in there Greg.
I think he lost because of the endorsement from Newton Democracy. He is well respected in Newton and the endorsement must have given people second thoughts.
It’s unlikely the cannabis issue because Jake Auchincloss did very well in spite of his similar positions.
I wonder how many of the 150 write-in voters used a name printed immediately above. My guess is low.
It is Ward 6, not 5. With 30 vote margin they should recount just to be sure. I am curious, what is the relevance of there being 150 write in votes? I think Greg is a honest, thoughtful guy who is generally without any agenda other then serving the will of his constituents. That is refreshing.
He has every right to ask for a recount. That’s a close race. Give the guy a bit of time to process too. There is plenty of time to concede.
Not a good comparison between Schwartz and Auchincloss on the cannabis issue. Schwartz chaired a committee appointed by Mayor Warren for the sole purpose of derailing implementation of the 2016 ballot initiative in Newton. That committee has never released their minutes or notes for public scrutiny. Did his position as a prohibitionist leader hurt Schwartz in an election decided by 30 votes? You bet it did!
For the sake of fairness, I think that there should be a re-vote for the At-Large Councilor for Ward 6. Although I live in Ward 7, where there were no contested races, I made a point of voting for several candidates, two incumbents and one challenger, who I thought would be an asset to the City Council. To that end, I bullet voted for Greg Schwartz because I think that he has done an excellent job on the Council and I hoped that he would continue.
I knew who Greg was because I have lived in Newton for 30 years, and I follow local politics. However, I would like everyone who reads this blog to know that something very unfair has transpired which may have influenced the outcome of the election.
When I arrived home about half an hour ago, I went downstairs to get my mail at the condominium where I live. There, I found a stack of postcards on the floor near our mailboxes that said “Re-elect Greg Schwartz Councilor-At Large Ward 6.”
In other words, no one at my condominium, which would represent a couple hundred voting age adults, received Greg Schwartz’s mailing until the day *after* the election.
I do not know if this happened due to a problem with the U.S. Postal Service or if there is another explanation. But since we no longer have a reliable local newspaper and there were no mailings from the City with a list of candidates, I think that this was very unfair to Greg, who lost by only 30 votes.
There are many other condos and apartment buildings near where I live on Hammond Pond Pkwy. If the Chestnut Hill Post Office did not deliver Greg’s candidacy post card to any of them, potentially thousands of votes could have been lost because many Ward 7 residents would not have been aware, before the election, that he was running for re-election.
Since I don’t know much about the legalities of holding elections, I do not know if a problem like the one I’m reporting could be considered as part of a decision to hold another vote. In any event, I think that elections should not be based on luck, but rather on the will of the voters. And, if there is any way we could re-do the Ward 6 Councilor-At-Large election, I would be in favor of it.
Hey election geeks. Does anybody know if this is normal or something unusual:
In all the at-large council races there were substantial number of write-in votes (1)112, (2)86, (3)113 (4) 107, 5 (381), 6(151), (7)74, (8)84. This despite the fact that there were no known organized write-in campaigns in any of those races. The suspiciously high number (381) in the ward 5 at-large race makes me suspect it had something to with write-in for Rena Getz possibly being put on the wrong race. Can’t imagine how all those other races would get those numbers of write-ins.
@Hammond Pond Parkway Resident -The timing of mailer cards being sent to residents is totally at the discretion of the campaigns. I began receiving them from some campaigns weeks ago. If a candidate is hoping to have a card arrive right on the day of the election, or the day before, they are relying on the vagaries of the somewhat unpredictable USPS bulk mail delivery schedule.
No you don’t get an election do-over because mailers arrived late.
@Jerry, Surprising this does not seem surprising to me. In some cases someone will enter their own name for each position, a ward candidate may be written into an at-large position, some ballots will be protest votes of whacky names. Last night at 2-1 we had a couple hundred write-ins, many were for a hastily organized school committee position but 20-30 other ballots had one or more write-ins. That could easily get up to your numbers when the precincts are combined.
This race should be recounted. It’s extremely close and one needs to make sure all absentee ballots have been accounted for.
@Groot,
If somebody selects 2 at-large councilors, and a write-in for an at-large in the same ward (so 3 would be selected) what is the consequence?
Hammond Pond Parkway Resident:
Welcome! I understand your frustration, but I think the odds of those pamphlets having an effect is close to zero. I received dozens of those things, and tossed them all. Plus, if we could redo elections for such a reason, every campaign would request a redo. If Greg’s campaign sent them out late, that’s on his campaign. My guess it was on purpose so they’d hit your mailbox the day before the election. I’d also guess that knowing he was in a tight race, he sent out a lot of them.
recounts is fine by me. Absentee ballots are likely all in. But no issue with checking, right.
As for why Greg lost, I think the better question is why Alicia won. And with a margin of 30 votes, lots of reasons could fit both questions. But I’ll give you one I KNOW is true. Alicia won because she campaign with Bryan Barash, and Bryan brought to the polls hundreds of extra progressive voters in Ward 2. Who also voted for Alicia. I know of at least 5 voters personally who voted for her and put up signs for both her and Bryan.
Change begets change, on both the national and local level. Doesn’t always work, but when elections are close, little things become huge.
@Simon – if three were selected in a ‘vote for 2’ race, that would be considered an overvote and all three votes nullified. It’s unclear to me whether the voting machines would automatically nullify them (I suspect they would), or if the overvote would picked up only via a recount.
@Jerry – interestingly, the number of write-in votes in the Ward 6 At Large race was lower this year than in 2017, when it was uncontested (151 this year vs. 166 in 2017). But you’re right that many wards did have a higher number of At Large write-in votes this year. Here’s the full comparison, by ward, of the last two elections:
Sorry, I realize that’s hard to read. Trying again – number of 2019 write-ins vs. number of 2017 write-ins, by ward:
Ward 1: 112 vs. 88
Ward 2: 86 vs. 39
Ward 3: 113 vs. 39
Ward 4: 107 vs. 841 (we know what happened there in 2017…)
Ward 5: 381 vs. 45 (this is obviously due to folks voting for Rena in the wrong Ward 5 spot),
Ward 6: 151 vs. 166
Ward 7: 74 vs. 63
Ward 8: 84 vs. 84
Hey, Allison,
Nerding out on past election results is my turf. Shove off!
@Jerry Reilly
You may be right about not being able to ask for a re-vote due to the fact that an entire section of Newton did not receive a candidate’s mailing, despite its being the only way those voters could have been directly informed about the election. However, I received mailings for every candidate I could vote for, well in advance of the election. I thought it was very odd that the only mailing I did not receive was the one for what turned out to be a hotly contested race.
You wrote: “I didn’t even know there were any Newton residences on Hammond Pond Parkway.”
Jerry, you are not the only one who doesn’t realize that there are hundreds of Newton residents living on Hammond Pond Pkwy. We are very close to Brookline, where there are also many residences on Hammond Pond Pkwy. Perhaps if there wasn’t so much commercial development in our area, all along Boylston St. near Hammond Pond Pkwy, people who don’t live here would notice that it is a residential neighborhood.
For what it’s worth, I know there are apartment buildings along Route 9. I live nearby. I can attest that they don’t ruin the neighborhood.
@fignewtonville wrote: “I think the odds of those pamphlets having an effect is close to zero.”
It’s interesting that you see it this way, because I see the opposite as being true. The reason for this is that in the 30 years I’ve lived in Newton, not one candidate has ever come to my neighborhood to talk to us. This may have something to do with the fact that we live in apartment buildings, not single family homes, so they would have to ring the buzzers at the front door to gain access.
Whatever the reason is, I know for a fact that I and many of my neighbors use the candidate pamphlets to learn about the candidates. Not only do I read them, but I put them in piles according to the likelihood that I will vote for the candidate. I have also seen these pamphlets on kitchen counters and hanging on the refrigerators of my neighbors . So, I know that my neighbors read them and keep them for future reference.
I would also prefer not to speculate about the timing of Greg Schwartz’s mailing. Unless someone from Greg’s campaign says that they mailed the postcards at the last minute, I will think that they were intended to arrive earlier, with all the others, and that something went wrong.
While problems such as this may not warrant a re-vote, I do think that what I reported highlights a problem in the way the City runs the elections. A list of all of the candidates should be mailed out to each Newton household, or alternatively, posted in a prominent place on the City’s website so that residents don’t have to spend hours of their time trying to locate information about the candidates.
Perhaps this is why only about 25% of residents bother to vote. And, as you’ve pointed out, it is the Progressive people who often vote in the highest numbers. This worries me only because not everyone in the City is a Progressive and when their preferred candidates get elected, they may take it as a sign that the majority of residents agree with their platform. This may or may not be true. And unless we do a better job of running the elections and encouraging residents to vote, we will not really know what the majority of Newtonites think on the issues.
@Allison Sharma: If the voter is present, the AccuVote machine will reject the ballot and give the error message “Over Voted in ___ Race”. The voter will have the opportunity to receive a new ballot (with the 1st one marked “spoiled”). The policy in Newton is to give the voter up to 3 chances (new ballots) to correct their mistakes.
If the voter left before the rejected ballot was noticed, their vote in that race will be nullified. It is the same situation for an absentee ballot.
@jerry, FWIW I can confirm I wrote myself in as a write in for Ward 5 at large. I don’t know Andreae well but thru the many Land Use meetings I’ve attended or watched online re: NND, it was clear Deb did not support or share the views of many of her constituents in Ward 5 on Northland. Sad but true.
It prob cost Kathy Winter the election – the fact that 5:1 didn’t feel they were getting the support or empathy of their At Large Councilors.
@Hammond Pond Pkwy Resident: The City website has sample ballots for all 8 Wards and all 4 Area Councils (with their boundaries).
Having said that, the City website is a horrible place to find information on anything. I hope there’s a revamp soon.
@Hammond Pond Park way resident. I, too, didn’t know there were so many voters in your neck of the woods. Maybe you could combine resources among the various apartment complexes and sponsor a candidates night. I think a lot of candidates would come.
@Bob Burke wrote: “Maybe you could combine resources among the various apartment complexes and sponsor a candidates night.”
Yes, something like this might be worth a try. Many of my neighbors and I never meet the candidates until after they’ve been elected and we see them at the City Council Meetings. I was planning to go to the event at City Hall in early November, but something came up so I didn’t get to meet the challengers, who I would like to have spoken to before making a final decision on who to vote for. I’ll speak to some of my neighbors about this and see if they’re willing to help organize a candidate’s night for the next election. Thanks for the suggestion.
As far as I can tell, Greg’s going to have to get ten signatures from each precinct he wants recounted.
@Sean, aw, shucks. I might not show it very often here, but I loooove nerding out 🙂
@matt Lai – so sorry for your loss in the ward 5 at large race yesterday. You needed to amp up your campaigning I think 🙂
Jerry, I blame his poop emoji avatar.
Don’t hate on the poop emoji @fig.
It’s the highest ranked of all emojis!
https://www.poopourri.com/blogs/uninhibited-fun/the-history-of-the-poop-emoji
#MattyLai2020
Poop emoji is the clear winner. No run-off needed
@Hammond Pond Pkwy Resident – not sure which condo you live in, but at our condo (The Towers), we had a few “Meet the Candidates” events. Candidates are always eager to speak to large groups – just ask!
Regarding some comments above about the mailer, I just wanted to note a couple things, as someone who just coordinated a whole lot of different mail pieces for my own campaign:
1) I live on the other side of the city from Chestnut Hill and also received the mail piece the day after the election, so it wasn’t a localized problem. It was a late arrival, which is unfortunate for Councilor Schwartz, but also the responsibility of the campaign to prevent.
2) I was standing next to Councilor Schwartz in the morning on election day and overheard him discussing with someone (who had gotten it on Monday) how he had cut it kind of close with timing the arrival of that mail piece and wasn’t sure it had arrived to people on time. Evidently, not. That’s the campaign’s responsibility to get right. Leaving it to the bitter end is just too big of a roll of the dice, in my own view. I think maybe some consultants give bad advice on the timing, who knows if that was a factor here, but also there can be print shop problems and just random effects of the postal service. Better to have it land early than after the election. Tough break for him to have this happen in such a close race, but not something justifying a do-over election.
In any case, I’m sure many councilors and community members will continue to seek advice from Councilor Schwartz on various policy matters in which he has expertise, even if he is no longer a councilor, assuming the current count holds. And Alicia Bowman worked very hard for this win, regardless of any flukes with the postal system, and will be a great councilor for the city and ward 6.
Again, the Ward 6 Councilor-at-large race should be recounted. Greg should hire an Election Attorney with a specialty in recounts and collect the necessary signatures to move forward.
@Bill Humphrey not a great look weighing in on this issue. Wasn’t really necessary and sounds like you are a part of a block. Just sayin.
@Bill….full transparency….
I am a ward 5 resident but not a supporter of your campaign, because when I read your posts/comments or have heard you speak online, you come off with an arrogance… and an air of, “I know better than you”, that is frankly off-putting. Chiming in on Greg’s loss, and your specific comments on matter, is not a good optic and reinforcing my sentiments and perception of you.
And let’s be honest, Kathy garnered more votes in all Ward 5 precincts but 1 (literally) and even with Rena’s votes, she lost by a slim, Schwartz-like margin (34 votes if I recall). Since for most Rena voters, it was either Rena or Kathy, it’s fair to say you were not the popular vote and won in Trump-like fashion.
All of that said, come January, you will be our ward councilor. Congrats. Your campaign was hung on, “I’ve knocked on thousands of doors”, and hope that as our ward Councilor you spend equal measure LISTENING to your constituents as speaking to (or speaking at) us – REPRESENTING our views and not using ward Councilor seat, as a platform for your own agenda and loftier political aspirations.
Learned very early in my career that feedback and optics – whether I agree or not – is real. Someone’s perception of you is your reality, and rather than be defensive, I’ve learned to take the feedback and take the necessary steps to improve the perception and my future reality. I hope you take this to heart.
If these comments appear harsh, it is not out of malice, but with the sincere hope that you accept feedback, and be the Councilor you have the potential to be. It takes balls to put yourself out there to run for the seat and dedication to serve your community. For that you have my respect and admiration.
Time to turn the page.
Congrats again on being our ward 5 Councilor. #olivebranch
Matt,
Bill responded with two facts from his personal experience that shed light on the subject. 1. He also got the mailer late, so it wasn’t a local issue. 2. He heard Greg say that he knew he was cutting it close, so it wasn’t some external force that prevented folks from getting the mailer.
Here’s the difference between Bill and Trump. Bill won the popular vote across the ward.
Most Rena voters were Kathy voters? Impossible to say for sure, but let’s say they were. Bill ran the race that succeeded in the reality we faced, not some alternative reality. If it had been a two-person race, Bill would undoubtedly have run a different race. Let’s not spend the next two years undermining the election result.
You live in Ward 5. If you think you’re more representative of the ward, you should run in 2021. If you think that a three-person race after a preliminary is stupid, lobby for a law that says preliminary contestants are ineligible for the general election. (Such laws exist.) Or, make it simpler. Go canvass for ranked-choice voting.
But, Bill’s a smart guy. I’m sure he’ll adapt to whatever reality he faces in the next cycle. Will he win? Who knows.
Ive got lots of experience designing direct mail for ward campaigns – The amount of time and $ required to do direct mail well can easily take a campaign by surprise. If you’re cutting it close you’ve got to put a 1st class stamp on it.
I remember one year calling around to post offices a few days before an election and learning that most of our mailing was in a sack waiting to be distributed. Bulk mail isn’t treated with any urgency at the USPS
In a ward race nothing makes a greater impact than talking with voters one-on-one. In my ward, I met Julia Malakie at Wellington Park one afternoon while walking my dog. She also came to my door and asked if she could put a sign on my lawn.
On election eve, I received a passionate plea from Jo Mc Neil to consider Carolina. At 4pm on Election Day, realizing I had not been paying attention and knew nothing about Carolina, I pulled up the debate videos on YouTube and listened as I walked to the polls.
I voted for Julia. I simply felt she had a deeper understanding of the dynamics at play and is more of an independent thinker – which is important to me. Although It’s likely I hold many views considered ‘progressive’, I have a mistrust for Newton’s progressives.
The only other touch points that reached me this year was Jake’s targeted Facebook ad – very strong, and his direct mail piece which I put aside but never read – It was nicely designed but the dark cover wasn’t really impactful enough to compel me to turn the page and read. I also voted for Jake.
Direct mail can be useful, but its likely Greg Swartz just didn’t get out and talk to enough constants this time around.
Dude (Sean), my point has gone completely over your head.
Ideologically Bill and Trump couldn’t be further apart, but I can say with a fair degree of confidence that I know at least 35 people that almost flipped from Rena to Kathy last minute. But my comment was not to over analyze or change the vote. It’s now on the past.
Nor do I have the desire or requisite time to run and properly serve. For that, EVERY candidate has my infinite respect and gratitude.
My point (and I’ve been consistent about this) is that many who take public office, start with the best of intentions – to serve and represent their community and constituents – but end up serving their own. It was an appeal to Bill to not follow suit.
Rena got the support she got, because MANY in Ward 5 do not feel enough support from their elected representatives.
Seems that in that race Mr. Schwartz lost by 0.14 percent of votes counted.
Error rate of the machine? nobody probably knows, manufacturer probably states a marketing number of 99.9.
Interesting to see the results of a human recount. One can then determine a possible error rate of the machine (s) used in that Ward, although the number of total ballots may be too small…
This is by no means the first time that a mailer arrived the day or so after the election. It’s unfortunate for the candidate when it happens, but mailers aren’t first class mail so the window for delivering them is much longer. It’s a frustrating situation for the candidate and I’m sorry that this happened to Greg.
Matt Lai demonstrates my point about how we can’t assume that Rena cost Kathy the election. He voted based on his perception of Bill’s personality traits. People who used their vote for a long-shot write in candidate probably did not have a strong preference between Kathy and Bill. No telling what their perception was of Bill’s or Kathy’s sincerity, character, work ethic, effectiveness, etc.
Those mailers are a huge waste of money and natural resources, and they have zero influence on how people vote. It’s a shame that candidates keep producing them.
I am late to this discussion I know. I live in Chestnut Hill and also received Greg’s flyer a day after the elections. It wouldn’t have effected my vote, but looks like post office’s delay – his campaign should have sent it sooner it looks like.
Man some folks are some sore losers…
Schwartz lost because he disrespected the will of the voter.
Bill you do a great job providing knowledge about the local civic system and you should continue to be who you are, that’s what we elected!
#howmanyhourswentintothepoopemoji
Hammond Pond Parkway – There were many, many opportunities to learn about the candidates other then mass mailings – Boston Globe and the League of Women Voters had candidate questionnaires online, NewTV ran video of Candidate Statements and debates (which you can also access online, if you don’t get cable) and both League of Women Voters and Area Councils held public events to meet/hear the candidates.
Alicia won because she is well-known for her work in throughout City – Safe Routes to School, PTO, Bike Newton, Girl Scouts, etc., and because she worked hard to win the election.
@mysteryDan, glad you like the poop emoji. Also goofy to steal your phrase…”will of the voter”.
@Rhianna, I am not a mind reader, nor are you, but it is of my opinion, and the people I have spoken with in Ward 5, in the spectrum of “representing the will of the voter” on one side and “I will convince my voters to align with my views” on the other….Rena and Bill were perceived on opposite ends and Kathy stood somewhere in between.
Again, not speaking for everyone in Ward 5, but with the folks I’ve spoken with, they share this assessment. So it’s of my opinion that it was less a matter of “Rena or bust”, but rather a statement (especially in 5:1) that our concerns about NND are being under represented.
Now the the election is over, I prey Bill will take the “will of its voters” seriously regarding Northland.
No conspiracy theories needed here. In my experience, reaching out to constituents has never been a priority for Greg Schwartz. I voted for him all the same. But whether he lost by 30 votes or 3,000, I believe he has no one to blame but himself.
@Matt Lai, I just don’t see the case that the more development-enthusiastic councilors are ignoring the will of the people. The Vibrant Newton slate took all but two races for which they endorsed. The exceptions were particularly strong candidates (Emily Norton and Julia Mackie), who were the only two of 10 Newton Democracy candidates to win. To the best of our knowledge, it was a free and fair election, under Vlad Putin’s radar. The hard-core development skeptics are vocal, but don’t appear to represent a majority of that subset of the citizenry that bothers to vote.
And I will support your right to use a poop emoji until my dying breath!
@john white… let’s not forget Pam Wright who also takes a more measured view on Development, and the “what if” scenario of Tarik Lucas and Jennifer Bentley were a single person (“Tarikifer”/”Jennifik”?) Could this single person unseat Susan and Jake? Prob not but curious none the less.
What was clear is 5:1’s position in both the current election and the September prelims. We live closest to Northland. Wonder if the rest of the City’s views will change if a project of such size ever lands in Chestnut Hill or Waban?
Long live the poop emoji!
@matt I hear that term a lot, the “will of the voters” and it’s something that everyone seems to think they know because of the people they’ve spoken with. When I go into city hall and see a room full of Right Size folks with their signs in hand, it can certainly feel like the will of the people is in one direction.
But not everyone is in that room, and to a degree we need to trust the people when they make a decision. I’m sure that the people right around you (5/1) are opposed to some of what Bill says. So are people who live in 4/2, 8/3, 3/1 and 2/2, all of which are immediately adjacent to major projects. You can clearly see the voting patterns with right size-endorsed candidates pulling major numbers there. That support quickly fades as you move slightly farther away from development (3/2 and 3/4 come to mind, as well as some of Ward 4 as you head to Auburndale).
I won’t disagree with you that Rina likely pulled some votes from Kathy. But that’s a tactical error on the part of Rina and her supporters, not something that you can blame on Bill. He ran a good campaign and was rewarded for it. A more apt comparison than Trump would be Clinton when he faced both Bush and Perot. Perot likely pulled enough votes to give the election to Clinton.
If I were in Greg’s shoes I’d likely ask for a recount too, it’s VERY close (and I’m a big supporter of Alicia Bowman because of her work with bikes and micromobility). A revote would be highly improper and only something that should be undertaken if there were clear problems with the vote itself. There isn’t any evidence of that.
@chuck… appreciated the feedback, and generally I am in agreement. Wonder how the rest of Newton will feel when development of (large) scale hits their villages.
https://nextdoor.com/news_feed/?post=129104154&comment=308793694
@Matt Lai – I’m sure they will be no more happier than many folks are around Riverside, Northland and Washington St, and now Chestnut Hill.
I heard an anecdote this morning that caught my ear. When the Marriott hotel was build on Comm Ave in Auburndale in the 1970’s, the local opposition was through the roof. 400+ hotel rooms! 2 ballrooms! pool! gym! It’s an entire small town. The traffic! the congestion! It will be a nightmare and destroy Auburndale.
Auburndale has survived nicely. We added a big hunk of tax’able commercial property for the past 50 years. No doubt, the Marriott customers do contribute to additional traffic and congestion on that end of Comm Ave but all in all, it wasn’t the nightmare that was feared and had some big upsides.
More recently, as someone who treks up and down Rt 9 regularly, I was absolutely certain a few years back that the new Wegman’s complex in Chestnut Hill was going to bring Rt 9 to a standstill all day long. It definitely added some additional congestion but it didn’t turn out to be the trafficgeddon that I was certain we were headed for.
This Globe article confirms that Schwartz is seeking a recount.
@Greg Reibman – Yes I did wander quite away from this thread’s topic. Matt made me do it 😉
@Matt — Apologies for forgetting Pam Wright, who ran a good campaign and beat Jim Cote, a strong incumbent.
I understand the skepticism of 5/1 voters. Northland is a big project without good existing transit connections, and the plans for the shuttle do not inspire confidence. I live in 6/3, and would love to see significant mixed-use development in Newton Highlands village and Newton Centre. More residents would mean healthier village economies, and the D line is right there. But no matter where any new housing goes, I’d want to limit the number of new residential parking spots, and probably go with residential parking permits to keep the nearby streets from being parked up.
Glad to see Greg Schwartz pursuing a recount.
Greg Schwartz LOST to Alicia Bowman in Ward 6. Greg should stop this non-sense of a recount that is going to cost our city money. Where are the budget hawks ? Jim Epstein? Peter Karg?
Where are the No on Charter people as this was their biggest fear? Someone who can’t win their ward should not a an at-large city councilor. Amy Sangiolo? Jack Prior?
Alicia beat Greg 1313 to 1175 in Ward 6. The people of Ward 6 have spoken. Time for Greg to concede the race. Lets move on.
Jack, you’re totally misrepresenting the No on Charter argument, which opposed eliminating ward councilors for an all-at-large system – because someone who can’t win their ward should not be their ward’s ONLY representation.
And to go even further off topic, but I insist on challenging the point every time it’s brought up — like many developments, Chestnut Hill Square may not have lived up to the hype of traffic armageddon, but the ill-advised roadway project that accompanied it did! Jerry, are you seriously taking Greg’s side on this and saying traffic hasn’t gotten horrendously worse since MassWorks widened the road at Chestnut Hill? We now have a standing 1.5-mile traffic jam daily on Route 9, including weekends. Not good for business. Not good for the economy of the region. Not good for local traffic or air quality.
Jack, your argument is ABSURD! We don’t select At Large Councilors based on the Ward only vote. Nice try to move the goal post. A recount process exists for just this situation and is perfect reasonable given the very slim margin. If the recount confirms the vote count, then Greg loses. Most people here seem to this the request for a recount is appropriate. Those who object strike me as if they are afraid that it might deliver a different result.
@Claire, this Bowman supporter is with you 100%. The rule of law is a precious gift and must be our first priority.
Councilor Schwartz has every right to seek a recount. It’s not a coup. It was a very close race. The republic will survive.
However, I’m not convinced it will change the final result. At the end of the day, for whatever reason, Councilor Schwartz didn’t make the sale. Perhaps more (pre-election) attentiveness may have made the difference. It’s possible neither side of the most contentious issues trusted him. More cards in the mail probably would not have made a difference (not for me anyway). The more likely reason is that the ground shifted, and he didn’t.
@Jack – We owe Greg a recount. Democracy has costs but this is a 30 vote difference and should be recounted.
True, I believe in fiscal restraint and hopefully our paths will cross on the NO to the Override campaign which will begin early next year.