Election Filing Update: Mayor Craig files for re-election

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It’s Day 6 of the filing period for the 2021 Municipal Election, here’s a recap of what went down along with a list of who has signed up overall so far. The filing period closes July 23 at 5 p.m.


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Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig files for re-election on July 19, 2021. Photo/Andrew Sylvia

Incumbent Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig officially filed for re-election today in front of crowd of supporters, submitting several hundred signed petitions in the City Clerk’s Office.

In a statement released shortly after filing, Craig said she hopes to continue to tackle issues facing the community over the next two years regarding schools, safer neighborhoods and growing the economy in ensuring the city comes out of the COVID-19 pandemic stronger than it was before.

“It’s such an exciting day, it’s great to be here with my family and supporters and be running officially for re-election,” she said. “We have already started knocking doors, making phone calls and it’s what we’ll continue to do until the election. It’s nice to be coming out of COVID and have the opportunity to speak one-on-one with residents of the city and we’re taking every opportunity to do so. It’s great to hear their feedback, their thoughts and I appreciate their candid feedback.”

Craig is the 48th Mayor of Manchester and the first female mayor of the city, first elected in 2017. Prior to that, she served on the Board of School Committee starting in 2008, followed by six terms as an Alderman.


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Craig’s supporters gather outside City Hall. Photo/Andrew Sylvia

Craig’s opponents were also busy, with 2019 mayoral runner-up Victoria Sullivan issuing a statement that she has filed a right-to-know request regarding the reasoning why the American Rescue Plan funding did not go through a normal committee process, also criticizing that a response could take up to 90 days, which is the maximum amount of time any documents relating to a right-to-know request must be preserved under state law.

“My concern is simple: this is a large sum of one-time money that is being dictated and directed with little oversight and even less transparency. This big government move might be successful for Mayor Craig’s election year earned media play, but in the end, it may end up hurting the very taxpayers and residents for which the dollars were intended,” said Sullivan. “I urge the Board of Mayor and Alderman to open this process up for more public input and to return to a more transparent one. Furthermore, I request that the Mayor and Board of Alderman call for four public input sessions in order to better hear from our local residents and businesses on their thoughts and needs in order to utilize these funds appropriately.”

During the meeting where the American Rescue Plan funding was first approved, Craig explained that the deliberation process should go before the full Board of Mayor and Aldermen rather than a portion of the board given the magnitude of the money coming to the city.

Mayoral Candidate Rich Girard also released several new endorsements over the weekend and Monday, citing the support of Alderman Jim Roy (Ward 4), former Alderman Tim Reiniger (Ward 3), former Board of School Committee member Joe Briggs (Ward 2) and former State Representative Kathy Souza (R-Wards 4,5,6,7)

Additionally, he announced the endorsements of of Concerned Taxpayers of Manchester Chairman Jim Gaudet, Coalition of New Hampshire Taxpayers Chairman Ed Naile, former Manchester GOP Chairman Jerry Thibodeau and former Manchester GOP Chairman Jeff Frost.

Down the ticket, in Ward 1, the last ward without an Aldermanic candidate, incumbent Kevin Cavanaugh filed for re-election on Monday.

Like Craig, Cavanaugh said he is excited to knock on doors and talk to residents, something he could not do last year in his re-election campaign for the New Hampshire State Senate.

“I was looking forward to doing (campaigning), it’s just an honor to serve the people of the city and Ward 1. I’ve always stood for public education and public safety and I look forward to standing with Mayor Craig in the future to keep the city going forward,” he said.

Although Ward 1 has a different character than some other wards in the city, Cavanaugh said it faces the same problems seen elsewhere in Manchester.

“Ward 1 is not its own island, the things we deal with are things the rest of the city deals with whether it’s public services, homelessness, trash pickup. Just like every other ward in the city, we’re also dealing with these problems,” he said.


Citywide Seats

Mayor

Alderman At-Large

*- Pending decision by the Board of Registrars on July 21 regarding Harris’ voter registration.

Board of School Committee At-Large

  • Peter Argeropoulos (7/12/21)
  • Jim O’Connell (7/15/21)

Ward 1

Alderman

  • Kevin Cavanaugh (7/19/21)

Board of School Committee

  • Julie Turner (7/15/21)

Selectmen

  • Jim Townsend (7/13/21)
  • Paul Allard (7/16/21)
  • Michael O. Goonan (7/19/21)

 


Ward 2

Alderman

  • Will Stewart (7/15/21)

Board of School Committee

Moderator

  • Nicole Marshall (7/13/21)

Selectmen

  • Elena Whitfield (7/13/21)
  • Tyler Chase (7/14/21)
  • Ronald B. Rose (7/14/21)
  • Junior Munzimi (7/16/21)

WARD 3

Alderman

  • Pat Long (7/12/21)

Selectmen

  • Glenn R.J. Ouellette (7/13/21)

Ward 4

Alderman

  • Nicole Klein-Knight (7/12/21)
  • Christine Fajardo (7/12/21)
  • Frank Negus Staples (7/16/21)

Board of School Committee

  • Leslie Want (7/12/21)
  • Mark J. Flanders (7/16/21)

Selectmen

  • Thierry Lakutu (7/12/21)
  • Dede Conway (7/13/21)

Ward 5

Alderman

  • Leslee Petersen (7/13/21)

Board of School Committee

  • Jeremy Dobson (7/15/21)

Moderator

  • Jennifer Farmer (7/14/21)

Selectmen

  • Darryl W. Perry (7/13/21)

Ward 6

Alderman

  • Sebastian “Seb” Sharonov (7/12/21)
  • Daniel Wisniewski (7/15/21)

Moderator

  • Louise Gosselin (7/16/21)

Clerk

  • Nicole Cobb (7/16/21)

Selectmen

  • Roger Gosselin (7/16/21)
  • Susan C. Lord (7/16/21)
  • Donald R. Provencher (7/16/21)

Ward 7

Alderman

  • Ross Terrio (7/12/21)

Board of School Committee

  • Christopher Potter (7/13/21)
  • Brian D. Cole (7/14/21)

Selectmen

  • Mary C. Freitas (7/19/21)

Ward 8

Alderman

  • Sean Sargent (7/16/21)

Alderman (Special Election)

  • Sean Sargent (7/16/21)

Moderator

  • Jim Gaudet (7/15/21)

Clerk

  • Lisa Johnston (7/15/21)

Selectman

  • Angel Brisson (7/12/21)
  • Macy McNair (7/12/21)

Ward 9

Alderman

  • Robert Kliskey (7/12/21)

Board of School Committee

  • Ben Dion (7/12/21)

Moderator

  • Gloria Pilotte (7/16/21)

Clerk

  • Brian McCoy (7/12/21)

Selectman

  • Joan Sullivan Flurey (7/12/21)
  • Maurice L. Pilotte (7/16/21)

Ward 10

Alderman

  • Bill Barry (7/12/21)

Board of School Committee

Moderator

  • Christopher Messier (7/12/21)

Clerk

  • Heidi Hamer (7/12/21)

Selectman

  • Jane LaPerle (7/12/21)
  • Donna McQuade (7/12/21)
  • Marie L. King (7/15/21)

Ward 11

Alderman

  • Normand Gamache (7/12/21)
  • Andre Rosa (7/12/21)

Board of School Committee

  • Brittany LeClear-Ping (7/12/21)
  • Nicole Leapley (7/15/21)

Moderator

  • Lisa Ouellette (7/16/21)

Selectmen

  • Lucille Forest (7/16/21)

Ward 12

Alderman

Board of School Committee

  • Kenneth Roy (7/12/21)

Previous day filing recaps

About this Author

Andrew Sylvia

Assistant EditorManchester Ink Link

Born and raised in the Granite State, Andrew Sylvia has written approximately 10,000 pieces over his career for outlets across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. On top of that, he's a licensed notary and licensed to sell property, casualty and life insurance, he's been a USSF trained youth soccer and futsal referee for the past six years and he can name over 60 national flags in under 60 seconds according to that flag game app he has on his phone, which makes sense because he also has a bachelor's degree in geography (like Michael Jordan). He can also type over 100 words a minute on a good day.