Michael Nicholson, Kimberly Blake to face off in Nov. 7 mayoral race in Gardner

The residents of Gardner have chosen the two candidates who will face off against each other in the Nov. 7 mayoral race.

Martin Gray was eliminated by voters in the Oct. 10 preliminary election, leaving the general election a contest between incumbent Mayor Michael Nicholson and challenger Kimberly Blake.

According to the unofficial election results from the City Clerk’s office, Nicholson received 1,308 votes compared to the 654 cast for Blake. Gray received 80 votes in the election.

Nicholson, who has served as mayor for three years, said he was hoping to build on the momentum he had created during his tenure, including the number of new businesses that have opened in the city and the “unprecedented” growth seen in the downtown area.

Voters felt Chair City is on the 'right track'

Nicholson said the election results indicated that voters felt the Chair City was on the right track.

“I think people in Gardner believe in the vision that we have,” Nicholson said. “We’ve got a lot that we’ve accomplished, but there’s a lot left to do and we’re on the right trajectory with that. From downtown revitalization, to investing in our schools and our infrastructure, and getting everything going in revitalizing our economy, there’s a lot that we’ve accomplished and people are ready to continue that progress moving forward and keep the momentum with the plan that we have in place.”

Blake has said she was running a campaign based on change, with some of her goals including more affordable housing, eliminating wasteful spending, and an increase in local government transparency.

“I’m so happy that so many people came out and actually voted – we got almost half of what the incumbent got, and that’s pretty awesome for a newbie,” Blake said, adding she was gearing up to campaign in the general election over the next several weeks. “I’ve got to get out to those who feel that their votes don’t matter, and I’ve got to let them know that their votes do matter. The internet is an awesome tool, but I’m looking forward to meeting people one-on-one.”

Blake said that she felt her message was one that was resonating with the voters.

More: Gardner School Committee candidates narrowed to six after preliminary election

“I feel that people relate to me because I can sympathize with them because we’ve been through similar stories,” she said.

According to the unofficial tally, 4.106 of the city's 13,952 registered voters cast a ballot, a 29.43% turnout rate.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Michael Nicholson and Kimberly Blake to face off for Mayor in Gardner