Somerville may be a solidly Democratic town, but there is still a lot to fight for in today's city elections.
Voters will decide on the makeup of the Board of Aldermen, and in some wards, they will also chose a school board representative.
The Board of Aldermen is the legislative branch of Somerville's government. It is made up of one representative from each of the seven wards and four at-large aldermen. Elections for the Board of Aldermen are held every two years.
Today there are contested elections for aldermen in four wards, including Ward 6, which touches the Tufts campus and includes Davis Square.
This is the first contested election for current Ward 6 Alderman Jack Connolly since 1997. He has been on the Board for 22 years. "For me, the real issue is my experience," Connolly said.
Connolly's opponent is Rebekah Gewirtz, who is running in her first election. Gewirtz is the vice-chair of the Ward 6 Democratic City Committee and was the co-founder and former chair of the Progressive Democrats of Somerville, a community activist group. "What I'm trying to work on is bringing people together," she said.
According to Gewirtz's Web site, her priorities public school funding, affordable housing and creating a Green Line stop in Ball Square and an Orange Line stop in Assembly Square. "I'm running because I think our local government can do better," Gewirtz said. She has lived in Ward 6 for four years.
Connolly said the race would come down to the basic issues such as the responsiveness of the government and communication with the constituency. "People ... want to be sure that their elected officials are responsive and that they get things done," he said. "That is my forte."
He said the Davis Square area has improved during his time in office. "Davis Square was really a ghost town," he said of the time he entered politics. "There was not a lot of diversity in the city. People didn't even really talk to Tufts students."
According to a Nov. 3 article in the Somerville Journal, Connolly has raised more than $28,000 and spent more than $19,000. Gewirtz has raised almost $26,000 and spent about $9,000.
Ward 7 Alderman Robert Trane is running unopposed for reelection. Ward 7 also encompasses part of the Tufts campus.
Seven candidates are on the ballot for the four at-large seats. The incumbents are Bruce Desmond, Denise Provost, Dennis Sullivan and Bill White. All are running for reelection.
Tufts alumnus Marty Martinez (LA '01) is running for one of the at-large seats. He lost the Nov. 2003 election for Ward 7 alderman to incumbent Robert Trane.
The other candidates for the at-large seats are Stephen Glines and Kimberly Foster Hirsh.
For the Somerville School Committee, both the Ward 6 and 7 seats are contested. Ward 6's seat, left open by Carolyn Taylor, will be given to either Jim Thomas or Paul Bockelman. Ward 7 incumbent Mary Jo Rossetti will face Herby Duverne.
Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone is also on the ballot. He is running for reelection in an uncontested race.
Some Tufts students are helping the candidates. The Tufts Democrats have encouraged residents to vote and put flyers on house doors for Ward 5 school board candidate Mark Niedergang.
The group has a policy of not endorsing any candidates, but students will help any candidate who asks. According to Kayt Norris, who is in charge of local internships and community involvement for the Tufts Democrats, about 40 students signed up to help three different candidates. In addition to Niedergang's campaign, Tufts Democrats are also working with Gewirtz and Provost.
