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Date: 8/23/2023
CHICOPEE — A few contested races will be on the Nov. 7 election ballot in Chicopee including the run for mayor, as well as City Council at-large and ward seats.
According to City Clerk Keith Rattell, all candidates are qualified for the election.
Incumbent Mayor John Vieau is seeking reelection against challenger Ward 3 City Councilor Delmarina López.
Incumbents Brian Suchy and Victor Anop are running for the Board of Assessors. Rattell said there are always three assessors, however, the terms are staggered.
The person with the most votes will serve a four-year term and the person with fewer votes will serve a two-year term. The third assessor is Laura McCarthy, whose term is not up yet.
Rattell is running unopposed for another four-year term as clerk.
Six candidates are vying for four councilor at-large seats including incumbents Robert Zygarowski, Frank Laflamme and Gerald Roy, current Ward 1 City Councilor Joel McAuliffe, current Ward 1 School Committee member Timothy Wagner and Sean Goonan. Longtime Councilor at-Large James Tillotson is not running for reelection, which generated some interest in the race, Rattell said.
Abigail Arriaga and James E. Tanhauser Jr. are running to represent Ward 1 on the City Council.
Incumbent Ward 2 City Councilor Shane Brooks is running unopposed.
Lucjan Galecki and Susan Goff are running for City Council Ward 3.
Current Ward 6 School Committee member Samuel Shumsky is running unopposed for City Council Ward 6 to replace Derek Dobosz who is not seeking reelection.
There is a contested race for the Ward 9 City Council seat between incumbent Mary Beth Pniak-Costello and challenger John Paquette Jr.
Incumbent City Councilors George Balakier, Frederick Krampits, William Courchesne and Gary LaBrie are all running unopposed for reelection to their seats in Wards 4, 5, 7 and 8, respectively.
No contested races will be on the ballot for School Committee.
Susan Szetela-Lopes is seeking reelection for an at-large seat.
Deanna Rousseau, McAuliffe’s wife, is running unopposed for the School Committee Ward 1 seat being vacated by Wagner, while Carlton Sonny R. Brooks Jr. is running unopposed for School Committee Ward 6 seat left open by Shumsky’s departure.
Incumbents Ward 2 School Committee member David Barsalou, Jason Dout, Sandra Peret, Grace Schofield, Donald Lamothe, Douglas Girouard and Ronald Bernard are all unopposed in their reelection bids in Wards 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9, respectively.