22 Candidates Vie for Local Office

Mayor Runs Unopposed; Veteran School Committee Member Not Running

– Allison Goldsberry

The biennial race for local elective office in Medford is unofficially underway as twenty-two candidates have returned nomination papers for fifteen seats.

Mayor Michael McGlynn is running for re-election unopposed. He is seeking his twelfth mayoral term, as he was first elected in 1987 when Medfordites could cast ballots for mayor under a new system of government.

Eleven candidates are running for six School Committee seats. Veteran School Committee member Alfred Pompeo, 91, is not seeking re-election. Pompeo, who has served on the School Committee and as mayor, has spent 61 years in public service.

Pompeo, a former school teacher, POW, and father of eight, has sixteen grandchildren. He spent four years in the army, including six months as a prisoner of war after he was injured during World War II’s Battle of the Bulge. Speaking at his 90th birthday celebration last year, he said the years he has spent on the School Committee are among the best he has had in his long life.

All other School Committee incumbents are seeking re-election, including Vice-Chair Ann Marie Cugno, Secretary Bill Brady, Lena DiGiantommaso, Robert E. Skerry, Jr., and Paulette Van der Kloot.

The School Committee challengers include Chris Murphy, John Falco, Bill O’Keefe, Sharon Guzik, George Scarpelli, and Laurence E. Brown.

Each of the seven City Councilors are seeking re-election, including Council President Breanna Lungo-Koehn, Vice President Michael Marks, Robert Penta, Robert Maiocco, Stephanie Muccini Burke, Paul Camuso, and Frederick Dello Russo.

Brian Chamberlain and Mark Arena, who both also ran in 2007, are seeking seats on the City Council.

The candidates are not official until their nomination papers are certified by the City Clerk. Each candidate needs to have at least fifty certified signatures from Medford voters in order to run for office. The nomination papers are expected to be certified on or before Tuesday, August 11.

Above, Registrar of Voters Clerk Joanne Abbott looks on while challengers Bill O’Keefe and Mark Arena return their nomination papers by the deadline on Tuesday, July 28. O’Keefe is making a second run for a seat on the School Committee while Arena has launched his second campaign for City Council. Both candidates ran in 2007. Photo courtesy Laurie Arena.