Quincy election: 8 candidates so far for 3 school committee seats; ward races emerge

QUINCY – The city's election in November will include a contentious school committee race with eight candidates so far declaring an interest in only three positions.

Some city councilors will face challengers in the election as well, but the names on the ballot for those seats likely be familiar to many of Quincy's voters. 

Three school committee seats, six ward council positions and all three at-large council seats are up for grabs in November.

Nearly two dozen candidates have declared an interest to run for office. Papers must be returned to the city clerk's office by 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 27, for a candidate to appear on the ballot.

Current school committee members Doug Gutro, Emily Lebo and Courtney Perdios all intend to run. Lebo and Gutro are longtime members of the committee.

Perdios was appointed in January after then-vice chair Anthony Andronico left to join the city council. She challenged three others for a school committee seat in 2019 and lost, and was chosen by sitting members to fill the vacant seat earlier this year.

Liberty Scaaf, of Howe Street, and Liz Speakman, of Merrymount Road, who also sought to be nominated for Andronico's seat, will run in the election. Joining them are Ellen O'Donnell, of Hatherly Road; John McDonald, of Quincy Shore Drive; and Tina Cahill, of Grenwold Road.

The most-watched city council race will likely be for the Ward 2 seat  held by Andronico.

Andronico was chosen by city councilors from a field of five interested candidates earlier this year to replace Brad Croall, who resigned after nine years on the city council. Andronico, Steven Perdios and Jorgette Theophilis will all run for a full term as the Ward 2 councilor in November.

Four other people initially expressed interest in the empty seat when Croall resigned, but none have taken out papers to run in the upcoming election. 

Sitting councilors-at-large Noel DiBona, Nina Liang and Anne Mahoney will see a challenge from William Burke. Burke ran as a Republican against state Rep. Tackey Chan, D-Quincy, in 2018 and U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch in 2016. He also pulled papers to run for councilor at-large in 2019, but did not return them.

Joseph Murphy, a Macy Street resident, has taken out nomination papers to run for the Ward 1 council seat, as has incumbent councilor David McCarthy.

John Rodophele plans to run against Ward 5 City Councilor Charles Phelan. Rodophele also ran for the Ward 5 seat in 2017.

No challengers have taken out nomination papers for the seats in Ward 3, 4 or 6 held by councilors Ian Cain, Brian Palmucci and William Harris.

Original Source: https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/2021/07/04/quincy-2021-november-election-see-school-committee-council-races/7838889002/