Preliminary election to take place Tuesday
In-person voting for Somerville preliminary elections takes place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Residents are assigned polling sites based on address. You can identify your polling place online.
Candidates for mayor, councilor at large, Ward 7 councilor and a Ward 3 School Committee seat will be on the ballot. The four candidates for councilor at large with the most votes will be on the ballot in November’s general election, as will the top two for each other position.
For mayor, incumbent Katjana Ballantyne and her challengers, councilors at large Jake Wilson and Willie Burnley Jr., will be on the ballot Tuesday. For councilor at large, the ballot includes incumbents Kristen Strezo and Will Mbah as well as challengers Scott Istvan, Marianne Walles, Tuesday Thomas, Ben Wheeler, Ari Iaccarino, Holly Simione, Justin Klekota, Christopher Ryan Spicer, Jon Link and Jack Perenick.
Wilbert Pineda, Michael Murray and Emily Hardt seek the open Ward 7 seat; Jessie Ratey, Kat Johnston and Michele Lippens seek an open School Committee seat in Ward 3.
Burnley preliminary party
Mayoral challenger Willie Burnley Jr. holds an event in the back room at The Burren, 247 Elm St., Davis Square, on Tuesday – the day of the preliminary election. The free, 21-plus event begins at 6 p.m. and features music from Feep, Flying Turtle, Ruby Grove and Tiffy as well as a playlist by Burnley. RSVP online.
Endorsements for four
Councilor at-large Will Mbah is endorsed for reelection by the New American Leaders Action Fund. Nalaf and New American Leaders, its associated nonprofit, support first- and second-generation newcomers to the country as candidates for office. Mbah is the only candidate from Somerville endorsed by the group. Seven candidates from Massachusetts are endorsed, including Boston mayor Michelle Wu. Additional endorsements are expected from Nalaf through October.
The Young Democrats of Massachusetts endorse councilor at-large Kristen Strezo for reelection and Jack Perenick, who seeks one of the council’s four at-large seats – and is president of the group.
Ward 4 councilor Jesse Clingan endorses Jake Wilson for mayor. “I’ve served on the council with all three candidates on the ballot for mayor, and Jake is the clear choice to bring this city forward,” Clingan said in an Instagram post shared by Wilson on Friday.
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