By SCOTT JACKSON
Eighteen Quincy residents had taken out nomination papers to run for office in this year’s municipal election as of Wednesday, setting up potential races for a pair of seats on the City Council, for School Committee, and for mayor.
Incumbent Councillor at-large Nina Liang, a Grandview Avenue resident, pulled nomination papers Wednesday to run for reelection. She joins fellow incumbent Councillor at-large Noel DiBona of Chickatabot Road, who previously took out nomination papers to run for a new term.
The third incumbent, Councillor at-large Anne Mahoney, had yet to take out papers to seek reelection as of noon on Wednesday.
Five of the city’s six ward councillors have also taken out nomination papers to run for reelection. They are: Ward 1 Councillor David McCarthy of Whitney Road, Ward 2 Councillor Anthony Andronico of Nicholl Street, Ward 3 Councillor Ian Cain of Forbes Hill Road, Ward 4 Councillor James Devine of Cross Street and Ward 6 Councillor William Harris of Ashworth Road.
Andronico is the only one of those five incumbents facing a potential challenger. Richard Ash of Mound Street has also taken out papers to run for the Ward 2 seat.
The remaining incumbent ward councillor, Charles Phelan Jr. of Ward 5, has announced he will not be running for reelection in the fall. Two residents have pulled papers to run for that open seat, Richard Iacobucci of Adams Street and Daniel Minton, a resident of Sims Road and retired Quincy police lieutenant.
City councillors are elected to two-year terms.
Six residents have pulled papers to run for School Committee.
They include all three incumbents whose seats will be contested this year – Paul Bregoli of Willow Avenue, Kathryn Hubley of Marion Street, and Frank Santoro of Lois Terrace – as well as challengers Kathryn Campbell of Cranch Street, Courtney Perdios of Ruggles Street and Liberty Schaaf of Howe Street. Perdios had been appointed to an open seat on the committee in 2021 and finished fourth in that year’s municipal election. Schaaf also ran in 2021, finishing in fifth place.
Perdios has returned nomination papers with the requisite 50 signatures. As of noon on Wednesday, she is the only candidate to have at least 50 signatures certified by election officials.
School Committee members serve staggered four-year terms, meaning three seats are on the ballot every two years.
A preliminary election would be required in the School Committee race if seven candidates qualify for the ballot. That preliminary election, and any others, would be held on Aug. 29 and the final election is slated for Nov. 7.
A potential race is also shaping up for mayor between incumbent Thomas Koch of Newbury Avenue and challenger James Maloney of East Squantum Street. Koch was first elected in 2007 and is the longest-serving chief executive in city history.
Nomination papers have been available since May 2. The deadline to return them to the Board of Registrars is 5 p.m. on July 11 and certified nomination papers, including a statement of candidacy, must be submitted to the city clerk by 5 p.m. on July 25. The deadline for objections to or withdrawals of nomination papers is 5 p.m. on July 27.
The signatures of 50 registered voters are required to run for each office in a municipal election. Residents seeking one of the six ward councillor seats must obtain the signatures from within their ward.