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Date: 9/28/2023
WESTFIELD — With the field of School Committee candidates narrowed from seven to six following the preliminary election on Sept. 19, the remaining candidates are now gearing up for the general election on Nov. 7 to fill three available four-year terms.
Less than 5% of city voters — 1,355 out of the total 27,545 registered — participated in the preliminary election. A preliminary election is required when there are more than twice the number of candidates than available seats.
The top six candidates who will qualify for the Nov. 7 general election ballot are incumbent Bo Sullivan, who topped the ballot with 703 votes; incumbent Michael Tirrell, 650 votes; Pamela Kotarski with 578 votes; Jeffrey Gosselin, 390 votes; Jeffrey Gunther, 380 votes; and Gabriella Michaliszyn, 330 votes. Andrew Mullen, who received 185 votes, finished seventh and will not advance to the November ballot. In the November election, only the top three will win seats on the School Committee.
All of the candidates thanked voters for their support during the preliminary election and said they are looking forward to campaigning for the general election.
Sullivan, who received the most votes, said he was thrilled with the outcome of the preliminary election.
“Appreciate the trust the voters showed in me but this is just the beginning!” he said. “I will be working hard until Nov. 7 getting out and meeting people and listening to them and what ideas they have for the Westfield public schools. Tuesday was a great day and a great outcome for me, but there is much more to be accomplished. I thank the people that did vote and who voted for me and I continue to ask for everyone’s support and their vote on Nov. 7.”
Tirrell said he also appreciated the support.
“I thank the voters of Westfield for their endorsement in the preliminary election and kindly ask for their continued support in November.”
Asked what his strategy will be during the next month, Tirrell said, “I am continuing to find ways to get my message out, answer voters’ questions and hear their concerns and priorities. Meanwhile, I am continuing to serve on the School Committee, actively working on my priorities of refreshing technology, improving our facilities, making our schools as safe as possible, and preparing our students for the next steps in their lives.”
In third place, and first among the non-incumbents, was Pamela Kotarski, who is running for the first time after retiring as the School Department’s transportation director last June.
“I am thankful for my standing in the recent preliminary School Committee election and I am highly motivated to continue immersing myself in the community,” Kotarski said. “I enjoy the campaign process, especially the importance of being present and available to listen to those who share their concerns and interests in the school system. My plan is to remain visible and available by attending upcoming school functions, community events and continuing my campaigning in the downtown area.”
Gosselin, as the fourth-place finisher, hopes to improve his standing in time for the November vote. He said over the next several weeks, he will continue to get his message out: “A safe environment for students, a balanced and fair budget, and to ensure a well-rounded education for our children.”
“I will go talk with many people and visit several neighborhoods. I live in the downtown; however, many residents and voters live in areas farther out. I hope to attend some of the Chamber of Commerce events coming up and I plan on doing some standout rallies,” Gosselin said.
Newcomer Jeffrey Gunther was pleased with his fifth place result.
“I want to start by expressing a great deal of appreciation for those who came out on [Sept. 19] to support my presence on the ballot in November. I know there are many Westfield voters whom I have not yet had the opportunity to introduce myself to, but many of those who I have met seem to agree on the need to elect someone with experience in the classroom, experience in education finance, and the investment that comes with having a child in the school system,” Gunther said.
“My strategy going forward is to continue to introduce myself to the community of Westfield one door at a time. I also intend to hold a meet and greet event in October that I will be announcing on my website and Facebook page,” Gunther added.
Newcomer Gabriella Michaliszyn also appreciated the votes for her in the preliminary.
“As a candidate who has not run before and hasn’t worked in the school system, I was happy to have the support of so many voters last week, and as more people get to know me, I hope to have their support as well,” she said, adding, “One of my goals through this campaign is to engage the community. I want to understand their concerns and what they love about our schools, both from the students and teacher perspective.”
“Since I have had many of my foster sons in the Westfield school system over the last 20 years, I have had a lot of experience with the special ed system and discipline issues. I have read many IEPs, taken lots of calls about suspensions, seen various placements, helped a few dropouts and close to dropouts, I believe I will be able to relate with a lot of people,” Michaliszyn added.
Michaliszyn also invited people to visit her website, www.GabriellaForSC.weebly.com, or contact her on Facebook or at Gabriellaforsc@gmail.com.
In the general election on Nov. 7, voters will elect three members to four-year terms on the School Committee; two-year terms for a mayor, seven at-large city councilors, one councilor from each of the city’s six wards and one Municipal Light Board member from each of the six wards; and a trustee for the Westfield Athenaeum with a six-year term.
Candidates for mayor are incumbent Michael McCabe and current City Councilor Kristen Mello.
Competing for seven at-large councilor seats are incumbents James Adams, Dan Allie, Brent Bean, Cindy Harris, Kristen Mello (also running for mayor) and Richard Sullivan; current Ward 1 Councilor Nicholas Morganelli; and newcomers Jessica Britton, Jason Hosey and Robert Parent.
Only two of the ward races are contested. In Ward 1, newcomers John Bowen and Karen Fanion will face off for the open seat being vacated by Morganelli; and in Ward 2, incumbent Ralph Figy will compete against Jessica Britton, who is also running for an at-large seat.
Bridget Matthews-Kane in Ward 3, Michael Burns in Ward 4, John Beltrandi in Ward 5 and William Onyski in Ward 6 are running unopposed.
Also unopposed are all six Municipal Light Board ward seats, mostly with incumbents running for reelection: Kevin Kelliher in Ward 1, Ray Rivera in Ward 2, Dawn Renaudette in Ward 3, new candidate William Parks for Ward 4, Joseph Mitchell in Ward 5, and Robert Sacco in Ward 6.
There are two candidates running for one six-year term as Athenaeum trustees, Eric McDowell and Jayne Mulligan.
The deadline to register to vote in the general election is Oct. 28. The city will offer in-person early voting on Saturday, Oct. 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and voting by mail. To request a vote-by-mail or absentee ballot, visit www.sec.state.ma.us/MailInRequestWeb/MailInBallot.aspx. Election Day voting will be Nov. 7 at the various polling places around the city.