ELECTIONS 2023
Complete local coverage of Worcester Mayoral, City Council, and School Committee races at radioworcester.com.
Candidates for Worcester Mayor Discuss Green Energy Plan
Incumbent Mayor Joe Petty and challengers Guillermo Creamer, City Councilor Khrystian King and City Councilor Donna Colorio answer questions about the specialized stretch energy code, what it means for Worcester, when it will be adopted and how it fits into Worcester’s Green Energy Plan and hear differences the candidates may have on this and other issues. Each week until the election Radio Worcester is dedicating an hour of its broadcast week to the candidates for Worcester Mayor, asking them roughly the same questions so that you can compare and contrast where they stand on the issues. We also talk about the loss of the Heart to Hub service, accessory dwelling units, sidewalk parking and more.
Mayoral Candidates Discuss Major Issues Facing Worcester
Incumbent Mayor Joe Petty and challengers, City Councilor Donna Colorio and Guillermo Creamer talk about Crisis Pregnancy Centers, the CVS closing in downtown, transparency in the Worcester Police Department and more.
Guillermo Creamer Running for Worcester Mayor Despite Opposition
Guillermo Creamer is running for Mayor. Now that seems to bother some people who are telling him to drop out but Creamer says he is bringing something different to the table. He says when turnout is only 16% he says their are votes for everyone to come around and that no one is entitled to a seat and everyone earns every vote they get. Creamer does promise that if elected he will push for charter review and is for a strong Mayor form of government. He also wants to continue to work on issues of equity. Creamer says he wants the Worcester Renaissance to be for everyone not just for a select few. Housing, homelessness, roads, public safety, hear where Guillermo Creamer stands on the issues.
Incumbent District 2 City Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson Discusses Her 8 Years of Accomplishments in Radio Worcester Interview
Incumbent District 2 City Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson stopped into the Radio Worcester studio to talk about her vision for the future and the accomplishments of the past 8 years. District 2 in Worcester has seen tremendous economic development, including Polar Park and the Worcester Public Market, during Candy Mero-Carlson’s term of office. She talks about the new housing that is coming to Shrewsbury St. and about her emphasis on parks and playgrounds. She tells us about the hard work it took to get upgrades to Grant Square Park. Learn more at candymerocarlson.com
District 1 Debate-Jenny Pacillo, Dave Peterson, and Larry Shelter
District 1 is an open seat for Worcester City Council and the three candidates met in Debate with just a week to go before the preliminary election. There are clear difference between the three candidates. Jenny Pacillo, Dave Peterson, and Larry Shelter talked about speeding, roads, safety, housing, development and more. In front of a large crowd the three differed from each other on the issues but were friendly and cordial in answering the panel’s questions and questions from each other. One thing they all thought would be cool, is if the Saint Gobain property acquired by the WBDC attracted a movie studio to the city.
District 5 Debate-Etel Haxhiaj, Jose Rivera, Edson Montero
District 5 Debate
Incumbent Etel Haxhiaj, Jose Rivera, Edson Montero
Panel – Gary Rosen, Hank Stolz, Kiernan Dunlop (MassLive)
Worcester Police, homeless crisis, affordable housing, Mill St., Former Big-D site, aggressive campaign backers, and much more. The format allowed the candidates to ask each other questions for the final half-hour and the sparks flew.
District 5 Forum: 3 Candidates to Discuss their Plans for the Future
Panelists Hank Stolz (Host – Talk of the Commonwealth on the Radio Worcester Network), Kiernan Dunlop (General Assignment Reporter @ MassLive) and Gary Rosen (former D-5 and At-Large City Councilor) encourage District 5 voters and other interested parties to attend the D-5 Candidate Forum on WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 6:30 PM at the IBEW hall, 242 Mill St.
Robert Bilotta Pledges to Improve Quality of Life for District 2 Residents
Robert Bilotta is running for District 2 City Council. It is a three way race with incumbent Candy Mero-Carlson and challenger Phil Palmieri. Bilotta tells Talk of the Commonwealth his campaign is focused on connecting with neighbors and improving their quality of life. His main concern is affordable housing and looking at how affordable housing can be preserved for working families and seniors. He is looking at infrastructure throughout the district, not just in the business districts and says that we need to focus on the people of the neighborhoods. He points to how neighborhood streets are used as speedways and a focus needs to be placed on infrastructure to keep people safe. Preliminary Election Day in Worcester is September 5th.
District 3 City Councilor George Russell Fights for Jobs, Safety, and Betterment of Families in Re-election Campaign
District 3 City Councilor George Russell stopped by the studio to talk about his re-election campaign, what he sees as the top issues, and what he is doing about them. Russell says certainly housing is a top issue in the city but the most important issues to people are personal safety and personal ability to make a living and the ability to have their families better themselves. Russell said his pushing for and coming up with the idea of providing a TIF has brought jobs back to the city and he wants to continue to promote keeping jobs local. He also spoke about wanting charter review and more.
City Councilor Khrystian King Runs for Re-Election: Talks Traffic & New Development on Radio Worcester
City Councilor Khrystian King is running for re-election and Mayor. He stopped by Talk of the Commonwealth to talk about some of the issues he’s working on including the impact of new housing on traffic especially around the Kelley Square area. King says Kelley Square was redone with an eye towards pedestrian traffic and he wants to see some hard numbers/projections on what the new developments could bring. The same with the impact on hospitals, schools and more.
District 4 City Councilor Sarai Rivera Discusses Worcester’s Progress in Addressing Homelessness
On Radio Worcester, District 4 City Councilor Sarai Rivera discussed the progress that has been made in addressing the issue of homelessness in the city of Worcester since 2018. Rivera, who is the Chair of Public Health and Human Services and has held public meetings on the proposed moratorium on removing encampments, believes that Covid has caused numerous delays. As a result, she does not support the moratorium but acknowledges that homelessness is a complicated issue. She noted that there have been some successes with Housing First Coordinating Council providing housing since 2018, but more work needs to be done.
Jermoh Kamara to run for re-election in Worcester School Board District C
School Committee member Jermoh Kamara is running for re-election. A little different this time around as Worcester will now have district representation, not just at-large, and Jermoh is running for District C. She talks about the district, her accomplishments of the past year and her goals for the future. She also talk to us about her working relationship with School Superintendent Rachel Monarrez.
Fighting Unresponsive City Government: Feanna Jattan-Singh Runs for Worcester City Council
Running for Worcester City Council is very personal and very local for Feanna Jattan – Singh. She is running for Worcester City Council, District 3, taking on long time incumbent George Russell. Her interest in running comes from her frustration over a very local issue she has been working on for over a decade. Getting a sidewalk on Sunderland Rd. in Worcester and fighting what she feels is an unresponsive city government. Jattan-Singh says this issue and issues like it, neighborhood safety, trash, getting roads paved are driving her campaign. Look for a campaign kickoff event on June 30th. She can be found under her name on social media.
Peter Durant Announces Run for Massachusetts State Senate
State Representative Peter Durant (R-Spencer) has announced that he is running for the Massachusetts State Senate. This comes after Anne Gobi stepped down from the position to join the Healey/Driscoll administration, prompting a special election. Durant says he wants to lead a different path in the state, one that embraces balance and common sense instead of veering too far to the extreme left.
Candidate for Worcester City Council District 5 Jose Rivera
Photo – Steve Lanava/Worcester Telegram
Candidate for Worcester City Council District 5 Jose Rivera called into the Talk of the Commonwealth to talk about the issue of homelessness in the city. Rivera’s opponent, incumbent District 5 City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj, has put forth an order on behalf of constituent and At-Large Council candidate Maydee Morales that seeks a moratorium on the sweep of homeless encampments. Rivera tells us that is the wrong approach.
District 2, Incumbent, City Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson
District 2, Incumbent, City Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson stopped by Talk of the Commonwealth. We talked about the issues facing District 2 and why she is running for re-election. Mero-Carlson talks about the Canal District, Polar Park, Housing Inclusionary Zoning and her focus on the city’s parks and green spaces.
Guillermo Creamer Running For Mayor
Guillermo Creamer announced he is running for Mayor and in an appearance on Talk of the Commonwealth immediately following the announcement on social media he said, the city is going through a renaissance but for who? In running for Mayor/City Council Creamer is stepping away from helming the city’s Now/Next project. A project which is looking at where Worcester is heading, he says listening to people during that project has given him an understanding of what people are looking for.
School Committee member Sue Mailman is running for re-election as an At-Large candidate.
School Committee member Sue Mailman is running for re-election as an At-Large candidate. She feels that the public would be better served if school committee members ran every 3-4 years instead of every two. That it would allow more to get done. She spoke about the new School Superintendent and school safety. She would like to see more student advisors. She sees the job as governance, policy and budget and will continue to think about things to strengthen the school system. She will continue to focus on vocational education and look at early education. You can follow her on social media.