Fall River election results: Coogan wins mayor's race

FALL RIVER — Voters have selected incumbent Paul Coogan as the city's next mayor.

Coogan garnered 6,643 votes while his challenger Sam Sutter received 4,310 votes, according to the unofficial results on Tuesday.

"This was a hard fought campaign. I did not like the tenor or the tone of the whole campaign," said Coogan. "But tomorrow we're back to work."

Coogan said he'll continue to stay on course with ARPA projects delivered on time and raising student school scores.

Speaking to supporters at the Our Lady of Light Band Club, Coogan thanked the people he works with at Government Center saying they're key components to "moving the city along."

"That's kind of our goal when we wake up, make the city better than it was the day before," said Coogan.

Sutter could not be reached for comment as of deadline.

Unofficial voter turnout was just under 20 percent, said Ryan Lyons, chairman of the Board of Elections.

Who was elected to City Council in Fall River?

In the City Council race, voters were guaranteed two open seats, after Leo Pelletier and Pam Laliberte declined to run for re-election.

Those seats went to returning councilors: Cliff Ponte and Paul Hart.

“I am thrilled to return back to the roots of holding people accountable and good government to the City Council,” Ponte said. “We are at an important juncture in our city’s history and it’s important that we govern with good government."

Ponte previously served as City Council president; he became acting mayor for a brief time after then-Mayor Jasiel Correia II stepped aside amid his fraud and extortion scandal. Ponte left the council in 2021 to take a run at the mayor's office, losing to Coogan.

"I’m looking forward to the future and working with my colleagues and the mayor to make Fall River a better more prosperous community," Ponte said.

Hart is currently a School Committee member, having served on that board from 2011 to 2015 and again from 2019 to the present. He previously served as a city councilor from 1995 to 2001. He did not reply to a request for comment by deadline.

Apart from Ponte and Hart, all incumbents were re-elected.

Elected to the council were, in order:

• Linda Pereira: 5,848 votes

• Bradford Kilby: 4,813

• Cliff Ponte: 4,788

• Shawn Cadime: 4,648

• Joseph Camara: 4,544

• Andrew Raposo: 4,338

• Paul Hart: 4,185

• Michelle Dionne: 4,137

• Laura Jean Washington: 3,502

Not elected were the following:

• Ricky Tith: 2,948 votes

• Gabriel “Boomer” Amaral: 2,745

• Joshua Teixeira: 2,668

• Jordan James Silvia: 2,584

• Alexander Silva: 2,562

• Bob Pearson: 2,372

• Gloria Saddler: 2,144

• Paulo Amaral: 2,116

• Joseph Salvador: 1,388

Who was elected to School Committee?

Returning to the School Committee was Thomas Khoury. He will join the slate of incumbents, who were all re-elected: Kevin Aguiar, Sara Rodrigues, Michelle Mimi Larrivee, Shelli-Ann Pereira and Bobby Bailey.

“I’m absolutely thrilled. I’m looking forward to having a voice again on all matters of schools and teachers and kids,” Khoury said.

A longtime educator at Durfee and Greene schools, Khoury makes his return to the school board after sitting out a term. He said he was happy voters were confident enough in him to bring him back.

“It’s a source of pride because I’ve dedicated an entire career to education,” Khoury said. “This feels really good at this stage in my life that I got recognized.”

Elected to the School Committee were, in order:

• Kevin Aguiar: 5,485 votes

• Sara Rodrigues: 5,018

• Michelle Mimi Larrivee: 4,810

• Thomas Khoury: 4,683

• Shelli-Ann Pereira: 4,667

• Bobby Bailey: 3,585

Not elected were the following:

• Collin Dias: 3,442

• Warren Alves: 2,778

• Rene Georgia Brown: 2,702

• Charles Chase: 2,602

What brought voters out to the polls?

At Calvary Temple, a handful of voters braved the heavy rain to vote during the first 30 minutes of polls being open Tuesday morning.

Ashley Leonard, a precinct clerk working at Calvary Temple, said it was a shame that turnout in off-years for state and national elections is typically low. She said initiatives like same-day voter registration could help drive turnout, especially among young and first-time voters.

“Most of the election advertising and campaigning happens right up until the last day. But then it’s too late to register,” she said.

Richard Methot, who voted at Calvary Temple, said he listened carefully to debates and interviews with the mayoral and city council candidates ahead of election day. He was glad to hear Sutter speak about the need for low-income housing and said he hasn’t heard the current mayor do the same. Rents in Fall River are becoming out of control; a good friend of his recently lost their apartment when their rent doubled, he said.

“That cinched it for me,” he said. “Prior to that, I was gonna vote for Coogan.”

Tuesday morning, Tansey Elementary School also saw a slow but steady stream of voters.

Claire Louis said she was there to vote for Coogan and hoped he would build on progress from his first two terms.

“The city seems to be on a positive footing and there seems to be real economic development in several different areas to make a difference in the city,” she said.

Voters embrace their civic duty

Many voters on Tuesday morning said that, despite it being an off year, they felt strongly about the importance of voting.

“It’s our right and it’s our duty,” said Lorraine Gallant, moments after casting a ballot for Sutter at Letourneau Elementary School. “If we don’t vote, we have no one to blame but ourselves.”

Mayoral candidates were out holding signs

On the curb near Letourneau, Coogan and Sutter stood on two opposite corners, holding their respective signs and waving at voters as they drove in early on Election Day.

Sutter said it was “hard to say” what his performance would look like at the end of the day, but that he felt assured he had connected with voters.

“The reception for me the last few weeks has been tremendous,” he said.

Coogan said he was feeling confident.

“I’m very encouraged by the response we’ve got,” he said. “It’s just another day at work.”

When will the candidates be inaugurated?

Inauguration day in Fall River is always the first Monday in January; but if that falls on a holiday, it takes place the next day. Since January’s first Monday is New Year’s Day, the candidates will take their oaths of office on Jan. 2.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Fall River election; mayor's race, city council, school committee