City councillor Paul Toner at the Jan. 3, 2022, inauguration at Starlight Square in Cambridge’s Central Square. (Photo: Marc Levy)

Cambridge City Councillor Paul Toner made his run for reelection formats Friday, making him the third incumbent on the nine-member body to declare for the Nov. 7 election.

Toner’s announcement led with endorsements, noting the support of David Maher, chief executive of the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce and a former mayor and councillor; Tim Toomey, former councillor and state representative, and David Rogers, state representative for the 24th Middlesex District.

They commended Toner’s outreach to constituents, and Maher said Toner had shown in his first term that “he has been a champion for neighborhoods, businesses and sound fiscal planning.”

There are nine council seats, all at-large and on two-year terms, that will be decided at the polls Nov. 7.

The other incumbents who declared for reelection were Marc McGovern and Burhan Azeem. Two council members said they are opting out – Dennis Carlone on June 14 and vice mayor Alanna Mallon on June 1 – and there are three who have neither announced nor updated their websites or social media to declare: Patty Nolan, E. Denise Simmons and Quinton Zondervan. Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui has updated her website’s events page to remind residents to vote for her Nov. 7.

“I have truly enjoyed my first term on the City Council,” Toner said. “As a councillor, I have sought to bring a balanced, pragmatic, solutions-oriented, data-informed mindset to thorny issues like housing, economic development, transportation, climate resiliency, municipal services and finances. ”

There are so far two official challengers to take the emptying seats: Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler, who served on the council 2020-2021, declared June 9. Joe McGuirk, who ran unsuccessfully in 2021, says he will run again. There have been murmurings from several others in the community; chief among them is School Committee member Ayesha Wilson,  looking at moving to the council.

With her departure and that of committee member Fred Fantini, the committee will need at least two new faces to accompany the new face on the City Council.