MANCHESTER, N.H. – Alderman-at-Large June Trisciani officially kicked off her campaign for mayor on Thursday night at the Puritan Conference Center, seeking to build on her work within city hall and her earlier experiences growing up and living in the Queen City.
Introduced by former Manchester educator John Rist, Trisciani told the assembled audience that Manchester is at a critical juncture where decisions will need to be made to determine the city’s future.
Trisciani said the city has made strides in some areas, but must do more in the areas of housing and homelessness, crime, recovering economically from the COVID-19 pandemic and education.
“With the right leadership and common-sense solutions, I believe that we can overcome these challenges together and create a stronger, more affordable, equitable and vibrant Manchester,” she said.
After serving on the Manchester Heritage Commission and becoming chair of the Manchester Planning Board, Trisciani says she took a leap of faith in 2021 when she ran for Alderman-at-Large and this year is similar.
“I am taking the leap again and I need each and every one of you in this room to stand by my side,” she said. “I don’t take this lightly, I don’t take the job lightly, I know this is going to be an uphill climb. But, I know that if we’re confident and we all work together, we can make a difference. I’m going to put the work in and we’re going to make and achieve the Manchester that we want for the future.”
Planning Board Chair Bryce Kaw-uh was in attendance at the event and was impressed by the size of the audience, which was estimated at approximately 100 people.
Kaw-uh says he supports Trisciani and will volunteer for her on the campaign trail, although he also has positive perceptions about Ward 2 Alderman Will Stewart, who is also running for mayor.
“What I really appreciate about June is that she has shown a real capacity to win in Manchester citywide, she got the most votes out of any Aldermanic candidate this last cycle, she knows how to win in Manchester,” he said. “I think both Will and June are great. Honestly, I’m a bit mad at both of them because they make me choose one or the other, but at this point I’m going to go out and volunteer (for June). I know she can win, I know she’s got the heart for it, and she’s all in.”
When assessing the other declared candidate in the race, Jay Ruais, Kaw-uh believes Ruais’ inexperience puts him at a lower tier than Stewart or Trisciani.
“I don’t know a lot about him and I think that’s (Ruais’) biggest challenge,” he said. “Who is he? What does he stand for? What has he done in Manchester? When we look at Will and June, we know that both of them have done a lot over the years.”
A fourth-generation Manchester native, Trisciani has served as an educator at Manchester School of Technology and New England College as well as a variety of software-based and interior design-based jobs, including her current role as owner of j. ellen Design LLC,, an interior design firm based in Manchester.
