Spring election coming into View

Yesterday’s Saturday Morning Live included a discussion of local elections around the valley. Of course, Dracut’s is interesting in that the focus of this year’s election will probably be on the School Committees.

The Sun’s Political gossip column this morning focuses on this as well, starting with the Martins:

EXPECT A concerted effort by certain political insiders in Dracut to pressure Greater Lowell Technical School Board member Brian Martin and his wife, Dracut School Committee member Mary Gail Martin, to step down from their elected offices before the May 4 election.

The Martins have not hidden the fact that their Dracut home is for sale and they are thinking about moving into the Tyngsboro home formally owned by Martin’s late mother.

“It would be the right thing to do,” said one observer, adding that in 2004, former Selectman Dennis Williams stepped down from the board more than two months before moving to Nashua.

On the School Committee, a decision by Mary Gail Martin to relinquish her office would open a third slot on the ballot, perhaps prompting more interest from challengers in the race. It would also eliminate the necessity of appointing someone to fill out the remainder of her term, which ends in 2010.

We joked little about the Martin’s during the show, and Brian took it in stride.. calling in a pledge to the Salvation Army as a was to letting us know he can take a ribbing.

We also discussed the school committee race, in that so far there are two incumbents: Ron Mercier and Nancy Gagnon.

Of course, all seem to agree that it would be best for the town that if the Martins are moving, for them to resign from their seats in time for the people to choose successors in the Spring election.. rather than have replacements appointed by other elected officials. All the rushing around that happened last year where people were trying to line up support for their candidate (Ken Martin/Mike McNamara) just doesn’t seem to be what local politics should be about. Lets leave that to the Kennedys and Clintons.

WITH THE new year come thoughts of nomination papers for the upcoming spring elections. Dracut Selectman Joe DiRocco has the benefit of being the lone member of his board on the ballot this year, meaning that anyone with thoughts of running against him has less chance than in other years, when two members of the board come up for re-election.

“It becomes more personal if you’re challenging a lone incumbent,” said one political observer last week. “When you’re running against two people, you can always say, ‘I’m just running for one of the seats.’ Running against a single incumbent means you have to come up with a host of reasons to vote for you and against that other person.”

Some of the early names circulating around town include Planning Board member Brian Bond, one of the driving forces behind the Canney Farm project, and Ted Kosiavelon, who ran an unsuccessful challenge against Selectmen Robert Cox and John Zimini last year.

Two people are up for re-election on the Dracut School Committee. Chairman Ron Mercier Jr. and Nancy Gagnon are both running for their third term. No challengers have yet emerged.

Of course, the real news would be that one candidate has already shown interest in the race for School Committee. Paul Nutt, a Dracut business owner with multiple academic degrees and long family ties to the town has been letting people know he will be running. I’ve heard of other candidates that may be interested, we’ll have to watch and see what comes up after the holidays.

It will be interesting to see what comes of this.. could it be that the ghost of Superintendent-Past actually ends up turning over the entire school committee in less than two years?