With the election weeks away, candidates have started getting their signs in yards throughout the city.
Reminder Publishing photo by Cliff Clark
WESTFIELD — With a little less than a month remaining before the Nov. 4 municipal election, candidates’ signs are starting to fill in on residents’ lawns alongside the falling leaves.
This election cycle, there are contested races for mayor, at large City Council and Ward 2 City Council.
Incumbent Mayor Michael McCabe will be challenged on the ballot by Andrew Mullen of Shaker Road. Mullen previously ran in the 2019 preliminary election for mayor against Donald Humason and McCabe.
In the at-large City Council race, 11 candidates are running for seven seats, including all seven incumbents and four challengers.
Running again are incumbents James Adams, Dan Allie, Brent Bean II, Cindy Harris, Kristen Mello, Nicholas Morganelli Jr. and Richard Sullivan Jr.
Challengers on the ballot for at large councilor will be Planning Board member John Bowen of Pinehurst Street; former mayor and city councilor Daniel Knapik of East Silver Street; financial manager Christopher McCrary of Maple Terrace, and electrician and Westfield High School football coach Robert Parent of Eastwood Drive.
Running unchallenged as ward councilors are incumbents Karen Fanion in Ward 1, Bridget Matthews-Kane in Ward 3, Michael Burns in Ward 4, John Beltrandi III in Ward 5 and William Onyski in Ward 6. Incumbent Ward 2 Councilor Ralph Figy is being challenged by Jessica Britton of Casimir Street.
There are no challengers for the six seats on the Municipal Light Board, following the withdrawal of challenger Jason Bean in Ward 6. Running are newcomer Thomas Fanion of Cabot Road in Ward 1 and incumbents Ray Rivera in Ward 2, Dawn Renaudette in Ward 3, William Parks in Ward 4, Robert Goyette in Ward 5 and Robert Sacco in Ward 6.
Three candidates are running to fill three four-year terms on the School Committee. They are incumbent Kathleen Hillman, former School Committee member Jeffrey Gosselin of Elm Street, chair of the Commission for Citizens with Disabilities, and newcomer Richard “Kick” Sullivan III of Steiger Drive, who chairs the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Incumbent Kathleen Knapik is also running unchallenged for a six-year term for Athenaeum trustee.
The deadline for in-person voter registration for the Nov. 4 General Election is on Saturday, Oct. 25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the city clerk’s office, Room 210. City Clerk Kaitlyn Bruce said the number to call the office will be on the door that day, as other offices in City Hall will be closed.
Bruce said people may also register by mail to City Hall, Room 210, 59 Court St., Westfield, MA 01085. Registrations must be received in the City Clerk’s office by Oct. 25.
Online voter registration is open until 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 25 at registertovotema.com
Applications for mail-in ballots, available to all registered voters for the 2025 Municipal Elections may be made online at sec.state.ma.us/MailInRequestWeb/MailInBallot.aspx or by submitting a vote by mail application, available on the city website under elections cityofwestfield.org/222/Elections-Voting.
Requests for vote by mail applications must be received by Oct. 28, although Bruce recommends requesting a mail-in ballot two weeks ahead of the municipal election.
There will be no early in-person voting for the 2025 Municipal Elections.
The General Election will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at various polling sites around the city, which are listed on the city website at cityofwestfield.org/732/Where-Do-I-Vote. Bruce said the only change in polling locations will be for Wards 3A and 3B, which will be moving from Westfield Technical Academy and Franklin Avenue elementary to Westfield River Elementary School.
For more information on the General Election or on how to register to vote, go to cityofwestfield.org/vote.
