Election season is upon us and although both Chicopee and Holyoke’s mayors are runnning uncontested, each municipality has races for other positions including seats on the City Council and School Committee.
Chicopee
Chicopee’s preliminary election will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 16 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The only race that will require a preliminary is for city collector. Newcomers Frederick Krampits, Sandra Peret and Rajesh Sanghvi will all be running for the position.
Current City Collector Stanley Iwanicki will not be running for reelection.
There are several polling places within the wards and voting precincts including:
- 1A and 1B, Bellamy School, 314 Pendleton Ave.
- 2A, Patrick E. Bowe School, 115 Hampden St.
- 2B, Knights of Columbus, 460 Granby Rd.
- 3A, 3A1 and 3B, Stefanik School, 720 Meadow St.
- 4A and 4B, Chicopee Senior Center, 5 West Main St.
- 5A and 5B, First Central Bible Church, 50 Broadway
- 6AN, Knights of Columbus, 1599 Memorial Dr.; 6AS Sheridan Circle Community Building, 1 Central Ave.; 6BE, Litwin School, 135 Litwin Ln.; 6BW, Sheridan Circle Community Building, 1 Central Ave.
- 7A and 7B, Legacy Church Hall, 790 Chicopee St.
- 8A, Chicopee Housing Authority, 7 Valley View Court
- 8B, Anna Barry School, 55 Connell St., Holly Street entrance
- 9A and 9B, Knights of Columbus, 1599 Memorial Dr.
Holyoke
Holyoke will be hosting its preliminary election on Tuesday, Sept. 16 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Holyoke City Clerk Brenna Murphy Leary announced the lineup for the upcoming preliminary and municipal election. Ward 1 City Council and Ward 5 School Committee are the only two contests that will require a preliminary.
The Ward 1 City Council preliminary ballot will list incumbent Jenny Rivera and challengers Victor Machado and Jose R. Candelario.
The Ward 5 School Committee preliminary will involve newcomers Jens M. Michaelsen, James Alan Rossmeisl and Aida Luz Oquendo Oquendo.
Incumbent Ward 5 School Committee Member John G. Whelihan is not seeking reelection.
The top two candidates in both of those races will move on to the municipal election on Nov. 4.
Preliminary election polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. at the following locations: Ward 1, Precinct A, Rosary Towers, 21 Bowers St.; Ward 1, Precinct B, City Hall, 536 Dwight St.; Ward 5, Precinct A, Lt. Elmer J. McMahon School, 75 Kane Rd. and Ward 5, Precinct B, Maurice A. Donahue School, 210 Whiting Farms Rd.
The municipal election ballot will list City Council contests in Wards 1, 3 and 4.
The Ward 3 race will involve incumbent David K. Bartley and challenger Anne Thalheimer. The Ward 4 race is between newcomers Richard Paul Purcell and Peter Diaz Jr.
Incumbent Kocayne S. Givner is not seeking reelection.
The City Councilor at-large field is made up of incumbents, including current City Council President Tessa R. Murphy-Romboletti, Patricia C. Devine, Israel Rivera, Howard B. Greaney Jr., Kevin Andrew Jourdain, and Michael J. Sullivan, as well as newcomers Jennifer M. Keitt, Mimi Panitch, and Christopher Dunay.
Of those nine candidates, the top six will take seats on the City Council.
