Worcester election results: Recap of all races

Good showing for at-large incumbents

It was a good night for at-large City Council incumbents Tuesday, with every sitting councilor retaining their seat.

Incumbents Kathleen Toomey, Donna Colorio, Thu Nguyen, Joseph M. Petty, Morris A. Bergman and Khrystian King capturing the six citywide seats.

There were 11 candidates. Finishing out of the running were Guillermo Creamer Jr., Maydeé Morales, William Coleman, Domenica F. Perrone and Johanna Hampton-Dance.

Petty, King, Creamer, Colorio and Coleman were also in the running for mayor, with Petty coming on top to serve a historic seventh term as mayor. In Worcester, candidates for mayor also run as at-large candidates.

Petty was the top vote getter of the night with 11,144 votes, or 13.2% of the vote according to unofficial results.

Toomey Came in second with 10,252 votes, or about 12.2%. King, Colorio, Bergman and Nguyen rounded out the winning candidates with 10,069, 8,746, 8,649 and 7,760 votes, respectively. King received 11.9% of the vote, Colorio 10.4%, Bergman 10.3% and Nguyen 9.2%.

Creamer received 6,164 votes, Perrone 6,132, Morales 6,017, Coleman 5018 and Hampton-Dance 4,394.

Click here for the full story.

— Marco Cartolano

MAYORAL RACE In latest victory, Mayor Joseph Petty says voters happy with direction of city

Haxhiaj defeats Rivera for reelection in District 5

District 5 incumbent Etel Haxhiaj has won the race for District 5 city councilor against Jose Rivera.

"I'm feeling super positive," Haxhiaj said after the votes were counted. "I'm looking to build on building stronger constituency services and working on the things that I started working on. Road safety, traffic calming, addressing our housing needs, and making sure that we have responsible development."

Haxhiaj came out on top with 3,225 votes, over Rivera's 3,057 votes.

"I'm very thankful to the District 5 voters for having faith in me," Haxhiaj said.

Building off her first term, Haxhiaj wants to progress the plans she already put in motion, like promoting sustainable development.

“I’ve talked a lot about walkability and making sure our roads are safe,” Haxhiaj said. “I’m looking forward to having more conversations about what it means to have responsible economic development.”

As District 5 city councilor, Haxhiaj said she wants to ensure that Worcester's economic success includes all residents of all neighborhoods.

A main goal of Haxhiaj's for these next two years is the completion of plans for Stafford Street and Main Street. She said she wants to continue to push the city to implement a vacancy tax for big properties that have remained underdeveloped, like Big D.

"We've talked about the redevelopment of Big D and the improvements on Mill Street and Stafford Street, as a result of some of the organizing I've done about awareness around complete streets" Haxhiaj said. "It feels like I've put in motion some really good things that I want to continue to build on in my second term."

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— Tatum Goetting

Pacillo to succeed Rose in District 1

Jennifer “Jenny” Pacillo captured the race to succeed Sean M. Rose as the District 1 city councilor.

Pacillo built a commanding lead over David Peterson, winning 61% of the vote, 3,807-2,428.

Rose, a three-term councilor, did not seek reelection.

Pacillo, 41, is the editor of Pulse Magazine and CM Pride.

"I feel so happy and grateful,” Pacillo said soon after learning of her victory. “I just want to thank everyone who’s helped, sent me good vibes. All the people on the doors, they were wonderful. I’m so excited to get to work.”

Read the full story.

— Craig Semon

Ojeda to follow Rivera in District 4

Luis Albizu Ojeda is in line to replace Sarai Rivera as the District 4 city councilor.

Unofficial results give Ojeda 916 votes to 835 for Katia Gisela Norford.

"As the District 4 city councilor I look to enhance the district," Ojeda moments after the results came in. "It's a beautiful place. I want to represent you. I'm here to be your voice."

Rivera gave up the district seat after five terms on the council.

Ojeda, an assistant principal at University Park Campus School, is a native of the Main South area.

Ojeda and Norford emerged from a five-way preliminary election in September.

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— Toni Caushi

Mero-Carlson headed to another term

Incumbent Candy Mero-Carlson secured her fifth term as Worcester's District 2 City Councilor with her victory over newcomer Robert Bilotta.

”The voters in District 2 I think made their choice tonight,” said Mero-Carlson after learning of her reelection. “I'm happy to be going back to represent District 2 and making all the good things continue to happen.”

Mero-Carlon captured 52.79% of the vote, according to unofficial results.

“I know it’s been a long haul, but we are standing here today because of all of you,” said Mero-Carlson at her victory speech to supporters at Pepe’s on Shrewsbury Street.

Mero-Carlson is best known for being the chair of the Economic Development Committee that was instrumental in green-lighting Polar Park.

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— Veer Mudambi

George Russell easily retains District 3 seat

George Russell retained his seat on the City Council after winning the District 3 race on Election Day by a wide margin over Feanna Jattan-Singh.

The final unofficial vote count was 2,469 to 817, with Russell taking 75% of the vote, according to preliminary results from the Worcester city clerk’s office. The victory sends the incumbent Russell, 66, to his seventh consecutive two-year term representing District 3.

"I'm happy, thankful and appreciative," said Russell moments after the result was announced by campaign manager Jim O'Brien at Russell's real estate office on Grafton Street, which served as campaign headquarters.

It was 41-year-old Jattan-Singh's first time running for elected office, and she said by phone after the result was announced that Russell's support from labor unions was too much to overcome.

"If labor unions had not blindly backed (Russell), then I probably would have had a better chance," said Jattan-Singh. "I will run next time, and I will be better prepared."

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— Henry Schwan

Voters return former Supt. Binienda to Worcester School Committee

The Worcester School Committee will see the return of a former member and superintendent, and the arrival of a handful of newcomers, following the election Thursday.

At-large: Former Worcester School Superintendent Maureen F. Binienda and incumbent committee member Sue Mailman were elected to the School Committee, with Binienda receiving 11,040 votes and Mailman receiving 8,539.

Incumbents Tracy O'Connell Novick and Laura Clancey fell short of re-election, with O'Connell Novick receiving 7,459 votes and Clancey receiving 5,564.

District C: With 1,990 votes, former School Committee member Dianna Biancheria ousted incumbent Jermoh Kamara, who received 1,416 votes, to rejoin the Worcester School Committee.

Biancheria campaigned on issues such as improving school safety and paying close attention to the district’s budget and finances, and how it is allocated.

District E: With 1,558 votes, newcomer Kathleen Roy beat Nelly Medina, who received 1,460 votes, to represent District E.

Roy focused her campaign on issues like keeping phone usage in schools to a minimum and opening up discussions to potentially have school resource officers return to the inside of high school buildings, while Medina focused on expanding opportunities and resources for foster kids and looking at alternative methods for punishing students’ misbehavior.

Uncontested seats: Candidates running in District A, B, D, and F were reelected without opposition. Incumbent Molly McCullough, who will represent District A, received 4,011 votes, while fellow incumbent Jermaine Johnson, who will represent District F, received 4,005 votes.

Newcomer Vanessa Alvarez, who will represent District B, received 1,469 votes, while fellow newcomer Alex Guardiola, who will represent District D, received 1,005 votes.

More: Election 2023: Binienda leads shakeup of Worcester School Committee

— Jeff Chamer

Senate seat goes to Durant

Republican state Rep. Peter Durant of Spencer will fill the state Senate seat given up by Anne Gobi.

Durant upended Democratic state Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik of Gardner in the Worcester and Hampshire district race.

The post has been open for several months, since Gobi stepped down to take on the role of state director of rural affairs.

"It's a lot to take in," Durant said of his victory.

His start date in the Senate is "I don't know, it's up to the senate president," Durant said. He will have to resign his seat, which could possibly trigger another special election.

In the end, Durant said, it was a clean race with mutual respect on each side.

He looks forward to getting things done for his constituents and his district.

His opponent, Jonathan "Jon" Zlotnik, conceded the race before 9 p.m. Tuesday.

"It's back to work tomorrow," Zlotnik said.

Click here for the full story.

— Kinga Borondy

Petty captures seventh term

Mayor Joseph M. Petty has won another race for mayor, earning a historic seventh mayoral term.

Petty, 63, came out on top of a five-person field, well ahead of his nearest competitor, Councilor-at-Large Khrystian King.

Petty's 10,687 votes put him far ahead of King, who registered 5,877 votes, according to unofficial results.

The field also included the following: Councilor Donna Colorio (2,912) as well as William Coleman (1,009) and Guillermo Creamer Jr. (950).

Petty said his victory was a sign voters believed the city was going in the right direction.

Petty also placed first in the at-large City Council race. In Worcester, mayoral candidates are part of the larger at-large councilor field. King will serve as vice chair of the City Council as the second-place finisher in the mayoral race.

Colorio secured a spot on the City Council.

-Marco Cartolano

What it takes to run a polling site on Election Day

WORCESTER — Paul O'Connor may not have the decades of experience of some wardens who managed voting locations on Election Day, but that doesn't mean he likes his volunteer job any less.

"Very much so," said the 72-year-old O'Connor of how much he gets a kick out of helping voters navigate the process of casting their electronic ballots on Tuesday at the Ward 8, Precinct 3 polling location at St. Peter's Church in Main South. "I work with a good crew. The voters are very nice."

"Sporadic" is how O'Connor described Tuesday's turnout, with a total of 69 votes cast at the District 4 polling site as of 5 p.m. "Local elections don't have the same jazz as a state or presidential election."

Maybe not the same jazz, but O'Connor, a civil defense lawyer by trade, explained the training that it takes to handle warden duties. The first step is to watch a "detailed" training video, then a list of instructions.

Of the many duties that O'Connor oversees, one is making sure voters who don't speak English as a primary language have access to a phone number from the state that provides interpreter services.

"(The state) goes all out to get people to vote," said Elissa Navarro, part of O'Connor's crew at the St. Peter's precinct.

Voters appeared to move smoothly through the process of making their choices for elected office and running the ballot through the electronic voting machine that records their choices.

"We need change in Worcester," said voter Marcia Gooch, who has lived in the city for 20 years. "We need strong people to bring people to Worcester that will spend money."

Gooch said she would like to see some of that money spent on supplies for public school students, including books and computers.

One of the things O'Connor likes about his warden job is those moments when three generations in a family arrive to cast their votes: "They value the opportunity to vote," he said.

With four years of warden experience on Election Day, including two at St. Peter's, O'Connor values his civic duty and those he works with to keep the voting gears humming.

-Henry Schwan

Senate race drives turnout in Gardner

Voters in the Worcester and Hampshire Senate District were voting Tuesday on a replacement for Democrat Anne Gobi. The race pitted two current state representatives, Democrat Jonathan Zlotnik and Republican Peter Durant.

In Gardner, City Clerk Titi Siriphan said she had visited all the polling places in the city Tuesday. Turnout had been steady, she said.

Kezia Vazquez, 22, pushed her friend Vivian Hill to step forward and vote. It was her first time.

"I have never done it before, it was jarring but exciting," Hill said.

She was nervous entering her polling place in the Gardner Police Headquarters, didnt know exactly where to go.

"Kezia pushed me forward," said Hill.

In the end, it was easy.

"It's important to have your voice heard; all ages, all genders, all nationalities," Hill said.

Vazquez pointed out that one vote can make a difference.

-Kinga Borondy

Steady turnout reported for closely contested district races

Turnout was steady going into Tuesday afternoon at two polling places for one of the highest-turnout wards in the city.

Blessed Sacrament Church at Pleasant Street and Congregation Beth Israel at Jamesbury Drive cover three precincts for Ward 9 in City Council District 5. Beth Israel also serves as a polling place for a precinct in Ward 1 in District 1.

District 5 features a contentious race between incumbent City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj and challenger Jose Rivera, while in District 1 Jenny Pacillo and David Peterson are competing to succeed Sean Rose, who did not run for reelection.

Poll workers say Election Day has gone off smoothly for the two polling places, and they hope for turnout to pick up the pace a bit more when more workers finish their workday.

Sign holders dotted streets as drivers made their way across the city in the afternoon, and at least one vehicle was seen projecting an at-large City Council candidate’s photo as it made its way from Newton Square to downtown.

Voters all said they felt it was important to get out to vote to make sure their voice was heard. Voting is a “civic duty,” Matthew Schuster said after he left the polling place at Blessed Sacrament with David Page.

“The world is too frightening to not at least do your part to change it,” Page said.

Page also said he noticed more interest in the election this year, with several newer candidates knocking at his door.

Page said Worcester has changed, becoming more vibrant,  since he started living in the city more than 20 years ago, and he wants leaders to keep that energy going.

“Worcester is moving a lot more now,” Page said. “It’s more alive than when I first moved here, and I think it’s because very responsible people got elected.”

Two new residents to the city also voted at Blessed Sacrament.

John Foley said he always votes and tries to pay attention to local elections to “make the world the place you want to live in.”

Foley said he has been impressed by the work of progressive groups and would like to see more of their ideas throughout the city.

Rachel Byrne said she understands municipal elections in Worcester tend to have lower turnout, but the most “direct impact” on the lives of voters. She also wanted to do her part as a new resident and believes that every vote matters, pointing to the result of the 2020 presidential election.

Byrne said she wanted to support candidates who would “have the most impact for the most people in Worcester, not just representing a few.”

At Beth Israel, voter Carol Parmenter said she also felt it was an obligation to vote.

“We are so privileged to have this right to vote and that it’s so easy,” Parmenter said.

She said education and the School Committee election were important to her. Parmenter also highlighted the mayor’s race, where “a new face” is needed.

Parmenter said she also was motivated by property taxes, where she said there was not a good balance between residential and business rates, and the tax increase that came from the Community Preservation Act.

-Marco Cartolano

Housing crisis front and center for some voters

When Nuance and Shaughn Bryant cast their ballots at the polling site at Webster Square Towers around noon Tuesday, they wasted no time to smack on the instantly recognizable “I Voted!” stickers on their shirts.

Although voter turnout was low at the polling site in the basement of the high-rise building at 1050 Main St., for the Bryants, who live on Marble Street, voting on the municipal level is as important as the votes cast on presidential cycles.

“It is very easy, to feel like your vote doesn't count,” said Nuance Bryant, “but these (elections) are the ones that matter because honestly, especially with turnout so low, it can be a number of people in the dozens that make or break one thing.

“With as divided as our population is, you can get the person who's like, ‘What if we treated people like people,’ versus somebody who's just like, ‘But what if fascism was really the way I wanted to go?’ ”

Citing high rents and growing homelessness, the Bryants see housing issues as being on the ballot for their district.

“The unhoused population is booming,” said Nuance. “Now that we're moving on towards winter, with these skyrocketing rent rates, people are losing their homes.

“The people that we vote for City Council aren’t going to do anything about wars, but they are going to have a say in how we welcome refugees, or if we welcome refugees.

“We really need people that are going to come in and make sure that Worcester keeps progressing in a manner that is consistent with our values.”

-Toni Caushi

For this voter, getting to the polls is a family affair

Voters at the Worcester Center for Crafts on Sagamore Road didn’t have to wait long to cast their ballots Tuesday morning.

With no lines and a slow trickle of people walking in and out of the building, voters could take their time making their choices for mayor, City Council and School Committee.

For Meg Price, it was an opportunity to continue a tradition started by her mom — bringing her young son, Henry, to vote with her.

She wants him to be civically engaged, she said, which is why she chose in-person voting rather than absentee.

“It can feel like we don’t have a lot of control and it’s one way to make our voices matter and heard,” Price said. “I think, especially in these times when marginalized and disenfranchised people aren’t being heard, it’s important to vote. And to do so with neighbors in mind.”

Rose Swetish said she also finds voting important, which is why she came prepared with a “cheat sheet,” containing notes about the candidates for whom she wanted to vote.

“There are few things we have as a citizen like casting your vote,” Swetish, who was with her husband, said.

-Jeff Chamer

At split precinct, poll workers help clear up confusion

Poll workers at Elm Park Tower are not only focused on making sure voters have things like translation services and help understanding how many candidates they should vote for, they also make sure they’re directed to the correct precinct.

The tower is a split precinct — 4 and 4A — meaning that residents voting at the same precinct will have the same candidates for the City Council election, but a different set of candidates in the School Committee election.

Residents at the tower, for example, are directed to precinct 4, while people from other nearby streets are directed to precinct 4A.

It can be confusing for some voters who are learning of the split the day of the election, Margaret Haidas, the precinct’s warden, said, but the poll workers are quick to help resolve the issue, quickly deciphering which one is correct based on where they live.

And with many of them speaking extra languages, like Spanish, Russian and Albanian, the polling site has been able to run smoothly throughout the morning, she said, helping voters understand their ballots or get questions answered.

She said she wasn’t very “aware” of the candidates leading up to the election, but wanted to come prepared and be well-researched before making her decision. So she brought her notes, folded up in pocket, with her to look to when casting her ballot.

And while it may pick up through the day, particularly during lunch and after work, the site isn’t usually very packed, Haidas said.

To have some fun, she said, she and the other poll workers will try to guess the total number of voters will visit the site by the end of the day. The person with the closest guess wins.

More: Meet the T&G's lead political reporter, Marco Cartolano

It may not have a prize, Haidas said, just bragging rights, but it helps make the day more exciting.

-Jeff Chamer

Voter: 'I have no right to complain' if I don't cast a ballot

Sharing the surname of a famous Founding Father noted for his grandiose signature, Steven Hancock said coming out to vote is a civic responsibility that American citizens should all honor.

“Voting is something that people should really take to heart, because a lot of people sacrifice a lot so we can do this,” Hancock said. “It’s up to us that we honor them by voting.”

Hancock said when the would-be voter gets all the candidates’ campaign information, they should study it thoroughly and then make an educated decision on what candidate best represents the community’s needs.

“Take it to heart, look it, read it and make sure you understand what their point of view is,” Hancock said. “Find out what they actually do, rather than what they say.”

The need to make “a personal statement” and have his voice heard is the reason why Henry Keyes has been hitting the polls since he was old enough to vote.

“I have no right to complain about services if I don’t vote,” Keyes said.

While there were no particular races that he found to be crucial, Keyes said he voted for candidates that he perceived to be “middle-of-the-road” in their politics.

Al Dancy said he likes candidates who have good characters, and not necessarily those who are characters.

“It’s really important that we set precedent for the future, that we have people in office who have no just good ideas but good plans to implement, execute, the ideas,”

As for coming out to vote, it beats the alternative, Dancy said.

“It’s important to vote because if you want to see change happen, you got to step up and make it happen,” Dancy said. “You can’t just sit around and do nothing.”

Voting for our mayor, our city councilors and our school committee members is important, Tim Lamm said.

“Citizens need to be involved in government,” Lamm said. “Otherwise, how is it going to respond to our needs?”

David and Natalie Nevard said they came out to vote, like they regularly do, because there is no other way to have a say in their government otherwise.

For the Nevards, keeping taxes low for homeowners and the city streets safe were the big issues.

-Craig Semon

Turnout 'very good' at church polling place

Once again, Robert P. Spellane, former state representative and interim regional director of Clark University’s Small Business Development Center, was serving as the warden at the polling place at Salem Covenant Church, 215 East Mountain St.

“Turnout is brisk,” Spellane said. “We had about 60 folks who voted before 9 o’clock. … It appears that we have a couple hundred mail-in ballots. It is very good.”

While they had a few people waiting to vote at 7 a.m., Spellane said it wasn’t like the old days when they saw hundreds waiting for the polls to over.

As usual, Salem Covenant Church is experiencing a “diverse cross-section of voters” coming to the polls.

“Based on my experience, if early ballots are any indication, it’s going to be a good turnout day,” Spellane said. “I’ll leave the predictions to the important people at City Hall.”

The city clerk's office reported that about 5,500 people had cast ballots either through the mail or via early in-person voting, as of Monday.

Although poll volunteers don’t get to talk to voters, Spellane said he thinks people are excited about the mayoral and council race.

-Craig Semon

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester city election 2023 live updates and results