Rochester and Marion voters will have a choice when they head to the polls this year for their towns’ annual elections; however, the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen race is currently uncontested as are all other Mattapoisett races.
On Wednesday, April 3, Rochester Planning Board member Michael Murphy will seek to occupy Selectman incumbent Brad Morse’s chair on the Rochester Board of Selectmen this year in a contested race that, as of February 16, involves only the two men.
Murphy, of 650 Mary’s Pond Road, is a former selectman who served on the board in the 1990s. He also served as a member of the Finance Committee at one point.
Murphy ran against Morse back in 2010 and again in 2013, losing both times.
Morse, resident at 209 Pierce Street, is currently serving his fourth term on the Board of Selectmen.
In other categories of the election, so far incumbents reign as no others have pulled papers for the 12 other categories. Nomination papers are due February 24.
Listed here are the positions, term length, and incumbents currently running: Highway surveyor, three years, Jeffrey Eldridge. Eldridge is seeking a sixth term. Constable, three years, David Hughes is running for one of the two positions, and incumbent Leo Dalbec is not running for re-election. Board of Health, three years, Glen Lawrence; Board of Assessors, three years, Diana Knapp; Planning Board, five years, Gary Florindo and Lee Carr for two positions; Library Trustees, three years, Dennis Desrosiers and Winston Sharples for two positions; Cemetery Commission, three years, Leo Dalbec is not seeking re-election; Park Commissioner, three years, David Hughes; Water Commission, three years, Richard Charon; Rochester School Committee, three years, Sharon Hartley; ORR School Committee, three years, Cheryl Hebert is not seeking re-election; ORR School Committee, two years, vacant.
In Marion, voters on Friday, May 13 will also likely have a choice for their next selectman. There are three possible candidates seeking a seat on the Board of Selectmen now that incumbent Jonathan Henry has decided not to seek a fifth term as selectman.
Long-time Planning Board and Conservation Commission member Stephen Gonsalves, 3 Hermitage Road, has pulled papers for the selectman position, along with Planning Board member and Conservation Commission Chairman Norman Hills, 680 Front Street. This is the first time both man have pulled papers for the Board of Selectmen, unlike third candidate Dale Jones, 68 Register Road, who is running a third time for a seat on the board.
Jones served many years as a Marion EMT and was also a member of various boards and committees.
The race for two seats on the Planning Board so far is seeing potentially three candidates to fill Hills’ position, who is running for selectman, and Jerry “Rico” Ferrari, who has not yet pulled papers.
Former Planning Board member Stephen Kokkins is trying to win back the seat he lost last year, and retiring selectman Jonathan Henry is also seeking a seat on the Planning Board. William Saltonstall, 657 Point Road, also pulled and returned his papers on February 10 for one of the three-year terms.
In the six other categories, most incumbents have pulled papers and are running uncontested at this point.
Listed here are the positions, term length, and incumbents currently running: Assessor, three years, Bradford Eames; Board of Health, three years, Albin Johnson III; Open Space Acquisition Commission, three years, John Rockwell and Randy Parker for two positions; Marion School Committee, three years, Christine Marcolini; ORR School Committee, three years, Linda Harju who has not pulled papers; Moderator, one year, Patricia McArtle who has not pulled papers.
Nomination papers have been available since February 1 and are due back to the Clerk’s Office by Friday, March 25.
Over in Mattapoisett, there are no contested races so far for the Tuesday, May 17 election.
With nomination papers due March 29, there is still time to pull papers to run for one of the uncontested positions.
For Selectman, Jordan Collyer, 5 Hillside Avenue, is seeking a fifth term on the Board of Selectmen, so far uncontested.
Listed here are the positions, terms, and incumbents currently running: Mattapoisett School Committee, three years, Patrick LeClair and Charles Motta. Motta has not yet pulled papers. Trustees of Public Library, three years, Mary Magee and James Dildine for two positions; Moderator, one year, John Eklund; Water/Sewer Commissioner, three years, William Hubbard; Planning Board, five years, Karen Field; Mattapoisett Housing Authority, five years, Leda Kim; Community Preservation Committee, two years, Jodi Bauer and John DeCosta for two positions; Tree Warden, three years, Roland Cote; Constable, three years, Paul Magee and Kenneth Pacheco for two positions; Herring Inspector, three years, Robert Martin.
Old Rochester Regional School Committee member Cynthia Johnson is not seeking re-election for the three-year position. Assessor Cary LeBlanc has not yet pulled papers for the three-year position, and current Board of Health member Kenneth Dawicki has not yet pulled papers for the three-year position.
By Jean Perry