MANCHESTER, NH – We may lose sight at times that municipal Election Days are pieces of history for our city; snapshots in time. We have them every two years but unlike other elections, they belong to just us; what happens here stays here and has immeasurable influence on our city’s progress and movement.
Below are photos from each of the city’s 12 polling places taken Nov. 8, 2023.
Beyond time and place, most importantly they are snapshots of people – in many instances people running against one another or representatives on opposite sides of politics, but who spent the better part of Election Day as colleagues, friendly rivals and, even after the dust settles, neighbors.
Well done, Manchester.
Ward 1 – Webster School, 2519 Elm St.
- Candidates for Alderman: Chris Morgan and Bryce Kaw-uh
- Winner: Chris Morgan (by 90 votes)
- Candidates for School Board: Suzanne Potoma and Julie Turner
- Winner: Julie Turner (by 882 votes)
This is the home ward of Mayor Joyce Craig and mayoral candidate Kevin Cavanaugh, and while Cavanaugh managed to beat his opponent, Jay Ruais, with his home ward voters, it wasn’t enough of a margin to see Cavanaugh through. It’s also the home ward of At-Large Alderman June Trisiciani, who was out in support of Bryce Kaw-uh. Although Kaw-uh said he was disappointed he didn’t win, he will continue to serve as Planning Board chair through the end of his term in May of 2026, which is good news for Manchester.
His opponent, Chris Morgan, is a city native whose roots go deep in education and sports. His promise, according to his voters’ guide profile, is to make Manchester a better, safer place for families to live and work.
Julie Turner will return to her seat on the school board for a second term. She is a teacher by trade and education, and says she will continue to listen to her constituents and apply her knowledge to find solutions that will make Manchester School District stronger as well as a place where all children can achieve.
Ward 2, Hillside Middle School, 112 Reservoir Dr.
- Candidate for Alderman: Dan Goonan (unopposed)
- Candidates for School Board: Constance Spencer and Sean Parr
- Winner: Sean Parr (by 646 votes)
Dan Goonan had no trouble winning his seat, as he was running unopposed. That didn’t stop him from joking with me over the last few weeks about his chances of winning. Having run unsuccessfully for Alderman At-Large last election cycle, Goonan no doubt is excited to make the cut. He brings years of public safety experience to the table.
Sean Parr, who will return as Ward 2 school board member, politely declined to sing for me on demand when I mentioned I’d like to hear some opera (having read his bio in our voters’ guide and learning “professional opera singer” is one of his many talents.)
Perhaps we can get an operatic fund-raiser on the calendar for the school district featuring Parr.
Ward 3, Carol Rines Center, 1528 Elm St.
- Candidates for Alderman: Pat Long and Scott Elliot
- Winner: Pat Long (by 253 votes)
- Candidate for School Board: Karen Soule (unopposed)
Funny story: In my mad dash to get to all the polls between 4-7 p.m. for photos, I put off Ward 3 until last as it was on my way back to the office. I was met by Manchester Police Capt. Sean Leighton who told me I’d just missed the sign-holders, who had disbanded about 10 minutes before the polls closed at 7 p.m. “But Pat Long is in there,” he said, pointing down the hallway.
As I turned the corner I saw Long with his opponent, Scott Elliot. The two men were chatting up a storm, like old friends. As I got closer I noticed Elliot had a shiner on his right eye. I smiled and asked him if someone punched him.
“I fell last night,” Elliot said, with just a hint of embarrassment in his voice, to which Long chimed in something like, “Oh no, I gave it to him,” which prompted the genuine smiles in the photo below.
Ward 4, McDonough School, 550 Lowell St.
- Candidates for Alderman: Christine Fajardo and Mark Flanders
- Winner: Christine Fajardo (by 93 votes)
- Candidate for School Board: Leslie Want (unopposed)
This is my home ward, and I visited at lunchtime to vote and score a chili cheese dog. That is one of the great perks of living in Ward 4 on Election Day: the McDonough PTO always has lunch food and goodies available for purchase by donation. But I forgot to take photos in my excitement of eating the food, so I circled back in the evening and found that Ward 4 Alderman Christine Fajardo, who edged out her opponent, Mark Flanders, had recruited several family members to hold signs for her – including her sister, who couldn’t get over how much she thought I looked and sounded like their cousin Colleen.
I guess Colleen is a cool lady!
Ward 4 Board of School Committee member Leslie Want, who ran unopposed, will return to serve our ward. Her background is also in teaching – science and biology, and she has a background in medical illustration. This may be one reason why she and Fajardo have become quite the dynamic duo. Fajardo’s background is in marketing and design, and the two women have done most if not all of their campaigning together over the past two election cycles.
Flanders was proud to have his family with him and I offered to take their photo together. It might not be Christmas card material, but I think it captures the spirit of campaigning and the importance of having your family in your corner – an obvious theme in Ward 4 yesterday.
Ward 5 Beech Street School, 333 Beech St.
- Candidates for Alderman: Tony Sapienza and Kathleen Paquette
- Winner: Tony Sapienza (by 33 votes)
- Candidates for School Board: Jason Bonilla and Scott Mattiello
- Winner: Jason Bonilla (by 112 votes)
By the time I got to Ward 5 it seemed like sign-holders were on dinner break. I did catch up with Tony Sapienza who was all smiles, along with his wife Shirley and son, Dominic. One thing I’ve told Sapienza in the past is that I love hearing him make a case for (or against) just about anything during meetings because he’s a no-nonsense down-to-earth guy who shoots straight and makes no apologies.
Jason Bonilla was also representing with a smile and signs that were hard to miss – three-tiered white signs with blue writing and my own personal identifying symbol, stars. Bonilla, whose family came to the U.S. from El Salvador before he was born, is first-generation American and carries a lot of pride with him about his family’s roots, and their achievements in the U.S.
I learned from our voters’ guide that Bonilla served in AmeriCorps, as did two of my own kids. I know that the idea of service and sacrifice go hand in hand, and in his first term Bonilla has proven to bring a voice of advocacy that needs to be heard and amplified.
Ward 6, McLaughlin Middle School, 201 Jack Lovering Drive
- Candidates for Alderman: Crissy Kantor and Maxine Mosley
- Winner: Crissy Kantor (by 310 votes)
- Candidates for School Board: Ken Tassey Jr. and Dan Bergeron
- Winner: Dan Bergeron (by 123 votes)
After visiting all 12 wards I can safely say there ain’t no party like a Ward 6 party. “Margaritaville” was blasting from the sound system when I arrived and signs were moving to the beat. And although the music was provided by the contingency with Ruais for Mayor signs, candidates on both sides of the sidewalk agreed that the music was a welcome addition to campaigning.
Crissy Kantor, who owns Chill Spa, retained her seat on the aldermanic board. Her sense of style was reflected in her flamboyant campaign signs which were bedazzled, electrified and sporting American flags.
It was a rematch for Cantor with retired school counselor Maxine Mosley, who told me she was recently called back into temporary service to sub for a counselor on leave. Her record of commitment to education stands, even in retirement, and Mosley says she will continue to be a voice for improving education for students.
Dan Bergeron regained his seat on the school board – he was taking a break when I stopped by to take some photos. Ken Tassey Jr., who has spent the past two years advocating for Ward 6 families, was a strong conservative voice on the issues.
Ward 7, St. Anthony Community Center, 148 Belmont Street
- Aldermanic candidates: Ross Terrio and Patrick Long
- Winner: Ross Terrio (by 37 votes)
- School Board candidates: Christopher Potter and Brian Cole
- Winner: Christopher Potter (by 184 votes)
I am embarrassed to admit that Tuesday night was my first visit to the St. Anthony Community Center which is part of St. Anthony Padua Parish. I learned that they have an 8 a.m. Mass in French on Sundays, and that they have an ongoing capital campaign for upgrades. You can learn more here.
In the race for alderman, Ross Terrio edged Patrick Long by 37 votes. Terrio, who is a pharmacist and was at one time in his life a baker, according to his voters’ guide bio, has served on both the school board and aldermanic board as well as the state senate, and will step up to serve as current Ward 7 Alderman Mary Heath, who did not seek another term, steps down.
I first met Patrick Long at a neighborhood meeting focused on safety, and was amused to find out there was another “Pat Long” in town (noting Ward 3 Alderman Pat Long as the original). We even wrote about the name game when a cat at the local shelter was in need of a home and had been named Pat Long by State Rep. Amanda Bouldin, who retrieved the stray cat from her neighborhood and brought it to the shelter to keep him safe and warm. Long is a combat veteran and an attorney, and I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of him.
Christopher Potter returns to the school board for a second term. He is a strong advocate and recruiter for AmeriCorps City Year, which is his day job – and is what brought him to Manchester more than a decade ago.
Ward 8, Memorial High School, 1 Crusader Way
- Candidate for Alderman: Ed Sapienza (unopposed)
- Candidates for School Board: Mark Warden and Jessica Spillers
- Winner: Jessica Spillers (by 148 votes)
I got to know Ed Sapienza when he contacted me to propose a Candidate Karaoke night back in 2015 for everyone on the ballot. He threw down the karaoke gauntlet again in 2017, and to be honest, we’d love to see this make a comeback. Since stepping up as alderman, Sapienza seems to be taking life a little more seriously than when he’s on the karaoke stage. He’s also brother of Ward 5 Alderman Tony Sapienza, in case you hadn’t noticed.
Jessica Spillers is a newcomer who hails from a military family (and married into one). She is a mom of two and works for the NH DHHS SNAP program, and a UNH grad with a degree in social work.
Ward 9, Bishop Leo O’Neil Youth Center, 30 South Elm St.
- Candidates for Alderman: Jose Marte and Jim Burkush
- Winner: Jim Burkush (by 624 votes)
- Candidate for School Board: Bob Baines (unopposed)
While at Ward 9 I got to chat for a bit with Manchester Police Officer Anna Martin, who was on duty and assisting a woman with use of the elevator. If you don’t know Martin, she is one of the city’s bicycle cops and can often be seen wheeling around downtown. Once I made it downstairs (without the elevator) I had the chance to meet a new voter, Yiya Grimes, who said she was encouraged to do her civic duty for the first time by her friend Grace Kindeke, who is program coordinator for American Friends Service Committee. Grimes said she has learned the importance of exercising her voice by voting – even if it might seem futile at times.
Bob Baines will make his return to city politics in the way he started, as a school board member. Running unopposed took some of the fun out of campaigning and waiting for election results, but the former mayor, who has also served the city as Principal of West High School – is more than ready to roll up his sleeves and get to work. BTW, if you haven’t yet heard the “Bring Back Bob Baines” song, today’s your lucky day (see below).
Jim Burkush will return for another term as Ward 9 Alderman. He is a retired Manchester Fire Chief and Memorial grad, and though retired, works part-time as an instructor for the NH Fire Academy.
Ward 10, Parker Varney Elementary, 223 James Pollock Drive
- Candidates for Alderman: Bill Barry and James Mara
- Winner: Bill Barry (by 145 votes)
- Candidates for school board: Joy Senecal and Gary Hamer
- Winner: Joy Senecal (by 23 votes)
Ward 10 is notorious for keeping candidates fed during elections, and this year was no exception, with pizza donated by Tommy Katsiantonis of Fotia Greek Taverna, wraps and handmade chips from Wrap City, along with some homemade dishes and treats.
Bill Barry returns to his post as Ward 10 Alderman for a fifth term. He is retired from law enforcement and now works as an investigator for a gaming company. Over the years Barry has brought forward such causes as school kids in need of warm hats and gloves, and coats and supplies for the homeless. He has been a strong voice for the Gateway Recovery program, which contracts with the city to move people from addiction and homelessness into recovery.
The school board race was a close one, with Joy Senecal edging current School Board member Gary Hamer by a thin 23 votes. Senecal is a newcomer to city politics, although a longtime resident. She’s a Memorial grad and stylist/fitness and nutrition coach and former fitness competitor.
Ward 11, Gossler School, 145 Parkside Avenue
- Candidates for Alderman: Norm Vincent and Nicole Leapley
- Winner: Norm Vincent (by 89 votes)
- Candidates for school board: Liz O’Neil and Gordon Haner
- Winner: Liz O’Neil (by 154 votes)
What I noticed when I got to Ward 11 is that every ward has its own way of organizing sign-holders and candidates outside the polls. I thought that Ward 11 was an interesting arrangement – more like a corral, where all the candidates were bunched together in one relatively tight space outside the school. Seems like a surefire way to get past your differences and learn to get along!
This is the stop where I ran into Jay Ruais (for the first time) on Election Day. He noted that he missed seeing Ink Link Assistant Editor Andy Sylvia everywhere he went, and I explained that Andy was working on an exit poll experiment (which worked out well, if you missed it, here’s a link). It also gave me the opportunity to take a photo of Ruais and his wife, Veronica, which I think turned out quite well.
Norm Vincent will enter city politics for the first time as alderman of this ward – he had some experienced cheerleaders, however – he is associated with the Baines family through his relationship with Bob and Maureen Baines’ daughter. He’s an Army veteran, dog lover and hometown kid who attended local schools and, like his school board counterpart Liz O’Neil, a Central grad.
Speaking of which, Liz O’Neil will step into the school board slot also a first-time candidate. After Central she went on to earn her master’s degree in secondary ed at Boston College and teaches English at Concord High School.
O’Neil will pick up where Dr. Nicole Leapley is leaving off, after serving two terms as the ward’s school board rep where she sat on the policy committee and chaired the conduct committee.
Ward 12, Northwest Elementary School, 300 Youville St.
- Candidates for alderman: Erin George-Kelly and Kelly Thomas
- Winner: Kelly Thomas (by 40 votes)
- School board candidates: Carlos Gonzalez and Camille Craffey
- Winner: Carlos Gonzalez (by 36 votes)
Kelly Thomas will take on Ward 12 as Alderman, with the win and exodus of Norm Gamache, who did not seek another term. Thomas most recently served Ward 12 as a school board member, but resigned her seat in 2021 to devote more time to her family not long after having a baby. Since then Thomas’ family has expanded further, having given birth to twins (her second set!) earlier this year. Thomas uses a wheelchair ever since a car accident at the age of 15 left her paralyzed. She is a licensed drug and alcohol counselor and is pursuing her PhD in forensic psychology.
Thomas’ victory means Erin George-Kelly will downshift from public office but no doubt continue to be a strong voice for families and especially the needs of homeless teens, through her work at Waypoint.
Carlos Gonzalez returns as school board member, beating political newcomer Camille Craffey by 36 votes. Gonzalez has the distinction of being NH’s first-ever Hispanic candidate to be elected to the state house. And in 2021 when tapped to fill the vacancy left by Kelly Thomas he became the city’s first Hispanic school board member. He was also the first Hispanic candidate to run for mayor (he made it through the primary in 2003.
Aldermen and School Board members At-Large
Joe Kelly Levasseur and Dan O’Neil will be representing the city as at-large aldermen. They’ve served together before. O’Neil is returning after losing his seat last time around to June Trisciani – and Trisciani gave up her seat to run for mayor in 2023.
I ran into Levasseur at Wards 6 and 8 where he was supporting other candidates but did pose for a photo op along with his unofficial running mate, Will Infantine (who did not make the cut, and Ward 6 Alderman Crissy Kantor.
I spotted Dan O’Neil after the votes were counted as he made his way into Kevin Cavanaugh‘s gathering at the Hill Bar & Grill. Although he said he had not seen the official numbers yet, he looked happy to learn that he was the top vote-getter in the at-large aldermanic race, as well as the prospect of being back in the saddle. The fourth candidate on the ballot, Mary Ngwanda Georges, came in third place after Levasseur.
Jim O’Connell, a retired businessman, and Peter Argeropoulos, a teacher in Nashua, will both return as At-Large school board members.
I caught up with O’Connell who was holding his big red sign outside Ward 2 Hillside Middle School, with an assist from his son. I snapped a photo of Argeropoulos while at Ward 1. Both of them are excited to continue the work they’ve been doing to strengthen our city schools.
