Ward 4's James Devine elected to Quincy City Council

QUINCY − Longtime Ward 4 resident James Devine was chosen to represent the ward on the city council after Tuesday's special election to fill the seat.

Devine, a carpenter who has lived in Quincy for 18 years, defeated Joel Buenaventura, a local lawyer, by a vote of 628 to 412. His swearing-in has not yet been scheduled, the city clerk's office said Wednesday morning. The next city council meeting is Monday, Feb. 14.

"It's unbelievable," Devine said Wednesday. "I started 82 days ago and I've been working every day since. I didn't know much; I'm just a regular guy. But all of these people that helped me − my friends, my family, even the election department up at city hall − they helped me get to this point. The experiences I've had are incredible, and now it's the start of a new story."

Devine, who was also the top vote-getter in a preliminary election last month, ran on a campaign of uniting the ward and making sure concerns are heard. He said he's heard from neighbors asking for better communication from the city, and that residents feel like they don't always know what's going on in their own backyards.

"I'm a fast learner and I'm looking forward to getting in there and representing my neighbors," he said. "I want to thank all the people who went in and voted. I'd encourage people to reach out to me and let me know what we need to get to work on."

Buenaventura, who has a master's degree in public health, said he wanted to use his experience working with bureaucracy at both the state and national level to serve the residents of the ward.

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"It was nice to get to know my neighbors and my Ward 4 community better," he said Wednesday. "I know I'll get to see everyone in the area again in the future, and I hope people don't hesitate to reach out if they need anything."

Devine will take over the Ward 4 city council seat until November. The position was vacated last year by longtime councilor Brian Palmucci, who was named a District Court judge. A regular election to fill the seat for a full term will be held this fall.

Devine thanked his wife, Jacqui; his daughter, Grace; and his son, Evan, who turned 18 three days before the election. He also said he's committed to working with Buenaventura in the coming months.

"We both talked about that, no matter who won, we were going to work together to do what’s best for Ward 4," he said. "I look forward to working with him and the people who supported him to do the best for the area."

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Reach Mary Whitfill at mwhitfill@patriotledger.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: James Devine elected Ward 4 city councilor in Quincy