There appears to be a preliminary election needed in September in Springfield to whittle down candidates for the City Council in Wards 1 and 5.
Gladys Oyola SPRINGFIELD – Thirty-three people returned nomination papers by Tuesday’s deadline to qualify for the 2013 election ballot, including all 13 incumbents on the City Council and the six School Committtee members up for re-election.
Just two races — the Ward 1 council seat held by Zaida Luna and the Ward 5 council seat held by Clodovaldo Concepcion — appear to have sufficient potential candidates to force a September preliminary election to reduce the field.
“I am surprised by how few people have returned nomination papers out of the large number who initially took out papers,” Election Commissioner Gladys Oyola said.
Forty-two people took out nomination papers, including 41 by mid-June.
A preliminary election is anticipated Sept. 17, and the general election is Nov. 5. The mayor, who also serves on the School Committee, is not up for re-election this year.
In Ware 1, Luna and three challengers — Jose Claudio, Miguel Rivas Jr., and Stephen C. Daly, met the requirement for at least 100 signatures of voters to be certified for the ballot. The two top votegetters in September will advance to the Nov. 5 ballot.
In Ward 5, Concepcion was joined by challengers Kyle Burns and Michael Belanger in being certified for the September ballot. The top two votegetters would move on to the November ballot.
A preliminary election featuring two ward races would cost approximately $40,000 for personnel, supplies and other expenses, Oyola said.
Meanwhile, four city councilors — Michael A. Fenton in Ward 2; E. Henry Twiggs in Ward 4; Kenneth E. Shea in Ward 6, and Timothy C. Allen in Ward 7, have no opposition this fall. No challengers submitted the required signatures.
School Committee incumbents Barbara Gresham of Wards 4 and 5, and Christopher Collins of Wards 6 and 7, are also unopposed for re-election.
The deadline to return nomination papers was Tuesday at 5 p.m., at the Election Office.
Others returning nomination papers by the deadline were Ward 8 Councilor John Lysak and a repeat challenger Orlando Ramos, who will be on the November ballot. Ramos ran against Lysak twice before in 2009 and 2011, losing both contests.
In addition, Ward 3 Councilor Melvin A. Edwards and challenger Salvatore S. Circosta were certified for the November ballot.
All five incumbent at-large councilors returned their papers, and face four potential challengers on the November ballot. Those returning papers were incumbents James J. Ferrera, Thomas M. Ashe, Timothy J. Rooke, Kateri B. Walsh and Bud L. Williams, and challengers Ernesto Cruz, Jeffrey P. Donnelly, Justin Hurst and Joshua Carpenter.
A preliminary election for the at-large race was needed only if there were more than five challengers — two candidates per seat.
At-large School Committee members Antonette Pepe and Denise M. Hurst face challengers Brenda J. Hammerle and Calvin McFadden in the November election.
School Committee member Norman Roldan, representing Wards 1 and 3, faces a challenger, Rosa Perez in November.
School Committee member Peter M. Murphy of Wards 2 and 8 is opposed by Zaida Govan in the November election.