Preliminary election is Tuesday to fill empty Ward 4 council seat in Quincy
QUINCY − Residents of Quincy's Ward 4 neighborhoods will take the first step toward selecting a new city councilor Tuesday in a preliminary election with four candidates on the ballot.
Joel Buenaventura, of Common Street; James Devine, of Cross Street; Matthew Lyons, of Center Street; and Sharon Cintolo, of Willard Street, are all competing for the seat. The top two vote-getters will face off again in a special election Tuesday, Feb. 7.
Ward 4 covers southwest Quincy from Quarry Street to the Milton line. The town council seat representing the ward was vacated by now-District Court Judge Brian Palmucci.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17.
Payroll: One woman among Quincy's top 100 earners in 2021; police officers dominate list
More: Braintree bar disciplined for serving highly intoxicated man
Buenaventura, who has lived in Quincy for almost 50 years, is a labor lawyer with the National Association of Government Employees. He represents public employees in labor disputes, and before that worked with nursing homes to reduce the abuse and neglect of elders.
Buenaventura, 50, moved to the city in 1976. His father grew up in the area. Buenaventura said he's seen firsthand the changes to Ward 4 during the last several decades. He said his immediate focus is to "get this seat filled and to do the best I can for the remainder of the term."
"There are significant changes happening in Quincy ... and everybody has a different take on it," he said. "As I knock doors, it's been really interesting to learn about the history and the changes. Ward 4 is racially and economically diverse, it offers a lot to the city, and I want to represent my neighbors and make sure they get their share of what they need from city services."
Cintolo, a Boston paramedic, ran against Tackey Chan for his seat in the state House of Representatives last fall.
Cintolo has not returned requests for comment on the Ward 4 election, nor did she participate in a candidates forum broadcast on QATV last week.
Devine moved to Quincy 18 years ago and is the parent of two children, now 17 and 20 years old. He said he wants to address residents' concerns about traffic and overdevelopment, but also wants to bring the community together through events and forums. If elected, he said he'd host in-person office hours monthly.
"When you look someone in the eye, it's different than just a call or email. When you get 20 people together in a room, they band together," he said. "It doesn't have to just be about solving problems. It can also be about positivity and connection."
Lyons, 58, was the first candidate to announce he was running for the Ward 4 seat.
He has worked for 35 years as a fiber splice technician for Verizon and is a leader with IBEW Local 2222. His family has lived in Ward 4 for generations. His great-grandfather, who emigrated from Ireland, died working in the Quincy quarries, he said.
"This has always been my mission, to represent working-class families," Lyons said. "I think the council could really use someone with an eye for working people. We have a lot of development going on in the city, which is great, but sometimes people's voices get drowned out."
Lyons has been campaigning for the seat since October, and said traffic is Ward 4 residents' biggest concern.
The last day to register to vote for the January primary election has passed. The last day to register to vote in the February special election is Saturday, Jan. 28.
Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Preliminary election Tuesday for Ward 4 council seat in Quincy
