Thursday, June 26, 2014

Some surprises in election declarations

More candidates announce for Charlestown offices
By Will Collette

The final declarations were filed at Town Hall at close of business on Wednesday, producing some surprises. Click here for yesterday’s article on the Democratic slate.

Town Council incumbent Lisa DiBello declared her bid for re-election….as a Democrat. That makes her the fifth Democrat running for Council in November.

Charlestown Citizens Alliance stalwart Councilor Dan Slattery is not running for re-election. Neither are CCA Party Planning Commissioners Peter Herstein and Kathryn O’Connor.

CCA Party Treasurer Leo Mainelli has filed a declaration showing his intention to challenge Democrat Henry Walsh for the position of Town Moderator.



CCA Party appointees to the Chariho School Committee Ron Areglado and Donna Chambers filed the paperwork to run for the seats they hold. Chariho Committee incumbent Craig Luzon is also running for re-election. Stephen Young is running for Chariho School Committee as the only declared Republican running in Charlestown for any local office.

Town Council Boss Tom Gentz and Councilor George Tremblay are the two CCA incumbents seeking re-election. In addition, Virginia Lee, Bonita Van Slyke and Denise Rhodes have filed for Council listing their affiliation as independent.

CCA Party Planning Commission incumbents Gordon Foer and Connie Baker have filed for re-election. New candidates for Planning are Frances Topping, Barbara Heavers and Mark Alexander.
The CCA Party has not yet announced its slate, so we’ll see which of these new candidates for Council and Planning are part of their slate.

Incumbent state Representative Donna Walsh (D-36) will face an independent challenger, Blake Anthony Filippi, a lawyer with a practice in Lincoln who has represented militia-style groups. 

Tina Jackson - outta here?
Donna’s 2012 opponent Tina Jackson (R) did not file this time, even though Jackson kept her campaign committee active and has been accruing daily fines for failure to comply with campaign disclosure laws.

Could be Jackson doesn't live in Charlestown anymore since her house was sold at a tax auction by the Charlestown Fire District after she failed to pay her taxes for a long time.

Incumbent state Senator Cathie Cool Rumsey (D) faces two opponents in November – Hopkinton Town Sergeant Elaine Morgan (R) and recent Ohio college student Cameron Ennis of Charlestown who filed to run as an independent.

In other election news, DINO Ernie Almonte, candidate for General Treaurer, changed his mind once again in his Candidacy Declaration filing. Former State Auditor Almonte started out in 2012 as a declared Democratic candidate for Governor. Then he switched to running as a Democrat for General Treasurer. But after getting smoked at the State Convention, gaining virtually no endorsements – and after the release of some embarrassing video – Almonte is now running for General Treasurer as an independent.

He had been courted by the Republicans who have no one running in that race. State GOP chair Mark Smiley told Ted Nesi at Channel 12: “We think that he really should have been a Republican all along.

On that point, and that point only, I heartily agree with Smiley.


This is the official beginning of Election 2014 and there will be lots more to come.