Pittsfield Sees Certified Candidates, Plans Preliminary Election
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is planning a preliminary election in September to narrow the fields for City Council and School Committee based on the projected number of candidates for several seats.
As of now, the preliminary will include races for councilor at large, Ward 2 and Ward 6.
Several potential councilors have had their papers certified, and the School Committee has more than 10 potential candidates. The preliminary election will be on Tuesday, Sept. 16, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Incumbent Michele Benjamin had her papers certified for city clerk, and council incumbents Kathleen Amuso, James Conant, Alisa Costa, Patrick Kavey, Kenneth Warren, Peter White and Matthew Wrinn have been certified. Former councilor Karen Kalinowsky has also been certified.
Nomination papers became available on April 3, and certified papers are due by Aug. 1.
Tayshialynn Chaloux has taken out papers to challenge Benjamin for the city clerk seat but not yet had them certified.
Nine people have taken out papers for the four councilor-at-large seats: incumbents Amuso, White, Costa, and Earl Persip III, and Lawrence Klein, Alexander Blumin, Kalinowsky, School Committee member Sara Hathaway, and Danielle Munn.
In 2023, both Mayor Peter Marchetti and Kalinowksy eschewed re-election for councilor at-large to instead run for mayor; Kalinowski did not make it past the preliminary election.
Munn, the owner of Witchslapped on North Street, has spoken against recent "median safety" and public camping ban ordinances proposed by Marchetti. She also runs a community center out of her that aids the city's unhoused population and has made allegations on Facebook of retaliation by the city administration for her stands.
Warren is the only candidate for Ward 1; Brittany Noto is not seeking a second term in Ward 2 and Cameron Cunningham, Lindsay Locke, Craig Benoit, and Corey Walker have taken out papers for the seat. Benoit unsuccessfully ran for councilor at large in the last election.
Wrinn is the only candidate for Ward 3 and Conant for Ward 4. In Ward 5, Michael Grady has taken out papers to challenge incumbent Kavey.
Edward Carmel, incumbent Dina Lampiasi, and Walter Powell have taken out papers for Ward 6. Carmel unsuccessfully ran for the seat in the 2021 election. Lampiasi has been representing Ward 6 since 2020.
Former Ward 7 councilor Anthony Maffuccio is looking to make a return, as he and Katherine Moody took out papers for that seat. Moody has been certified. Rhonda Serre, who won the seat two years ago, indicated she will not run again.
With a recent staffing scandal and several big changes ahead in the Pittsfield Public Schools, the School Committee has 11 interested parties to fill the six-seat committee. On Wednesday night, the committee took a historic vote on a proposed middle school restructuring, and next school year will see a new superintendent and assistant superintendent.
Middle School Restructuring Committee members Sarah Muil, Hathaway and Vicky Smith; Carolyn Barry, Ciara Batory, Geoffrey Buerger, incumbent Daniel Elias, Jacob Klein, Kelly Ott, Heather McNiece and Katherine Yon have taken out papers for the School Committee. Yon and Smith are former committee members. Buerger, Hathaway and Smith have had their signatures certified.
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