Tuesday was a busy election night across Massachusetts.
While there were no statewide races on the ballot, city’s and towns made decisions about leadership.
In Everett, voters ousted a long-term incumbent in Mayor Carlo DeMaria, who has been in office since 2008, electing City Councilor Robert Van Campen.
“Tonight, in a resounding voice — you see these numbers? — They affirm they’re ready for change, they’re ready to write a new chapter,” the mayor-elect said.
The race for mayor in Boston may be a foregone conclusion, but there are big races for City Council being settled on Tuesday.
In an interview last week, Van Campen cited an audit finding DeMaria received $180,000 more than he should have in longevity payments as a catalyst for his campaign.
Asked to explain what type of change he intended to bring, Van Campen said, “Bringing greater transparency and accountability at City Hall. I want to look at school overcrowding.”
In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu, running unopposed since Josh Kraft dropped out after placing a distant second in September’s preliminary race, spoke Tuesday night about her upcoming second term.
“When we say Boston doesn’t back down, what we mean is Boston always shows up,” she said.
While the results were still being counted Tuesday night, incumbents had leads in city council races, including in the citywide at-large race.
District 7 was an open race after former City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson resigned following her guilty plea to federal fraud charges. Miniard Culpepper declared victory Tuesday over Said Ahmed.
“I think this district is a heartbeat of the city, and how this district goes, I think, will determine how this city goes,” Culpepper told NBC10 Boston.
Fernandes Anderson resigned in July, and councilors had asked state lawmakers to allow for an early swear-in of the November election’s winner. That bill is still stalled on Beacon Hill.
“I may not have the council office, I might not have the council staff, but running the campaign, I didn’t have that, and I still met with folks,” said Culpepper.
Two sitting at-large councilors — Ruthzee Louijeune and Henry Santana — joined Wu on stage. Along with Erin Murphy and Julia Mejia, the incumbents occupy the top four spots with the votes still being counted.
“I love this city, and I’m ready to give it all, continue to give it my all,” Santana said.
All these election totals are preliminary, final results will be tallied and certified by city and state election officials.
Elsewhere in Massachusetts, Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña was reelected to a second term. And Somerville voters elected Jake Wilson over Willie Burnley Jr. after both placed ahead of Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, knocking her out in September’s primary.
Matt Prichard and Mike Pescaro
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