EAST PROVIDENCE — The 2016 election locally got even a little less interesting after the deadline for candidates submitting signatures from the registered voters passed last Friday afternoon, July …
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EAST PROVIDENCE — The 2016 election locally got even a little less interesting after the deadline for candidates submitting signatures from the registered voters passed last Friday afternoon, July 15.
Only eight of the 17 races will be contested either in the primary or the general election.
Twenty percent of the East Providence City Council is set well before the September primary and November general dates after both Peter Oppenheimer and David Sullivan did not submit signatures in Ward 1. This leaves only incumbent Robert Britto on the ballot from the Rumford section of the city. He joins the lone At-Large candidate, Jim Briden, as unopposed candidates still left in the race.
The three other spots on the Council are now all two-person races as well and will go directly to the general.
Chelsea Tague, as was the case in Ward 1, did not submit signatures leaving Candy Seel and Joe Botelho to vie for the Ward 3 position being vacated by Tommy Rose, who opted not to seek a fourth term representing mostly the Kent Heights area.
The Ward 2 race sees veteran pol Bruce Rogers running opposite newcomer Anna Sousa in the center of the city while incumbent Tim Conley and Brian Faria are on the ballot for Ward 4 in Riverside.
The sole primary race in the city elections comes from the same Ward 4 on the school committee side where one-term incumbent Jessica Beauchaine is being challenged by two first-time candidates in Chris Dias and Nicholas Williams, each of whom along with Ms. Beauchaine filed the 50 signatures necessary to get on the ballot.
Just one other committee race is being contested as incumbent Joel Monteiro faces a challenge from former committeewoman and councilwoman Chrissy Rossi for the At-Large seat. Incumbents Charlie Tsonos (Ward 1), Tony Ferreira (Ward 2) and Nate Cahoon (Ward 3) are running for re-election unopposed.
Likewise, four of the city's seven-person General Assembly contingent (Senators Dan DaPonte and Bill Conley; Representatives Gregg Amore and Joy Hearn) also do not have an opponent.
Two registered Democrats will vie in the September primary for the House 64 seat being left vacant by six-term rep Helio Melo as Helder Cunha dropped his bid to seek re-election to the council from Ward 2 and former rep and councilor Brian Coogan has returned to politics 12 years after losing to Mr. Melo in the race for the same House seat. The winner essentially claims the spot pending the general.
The two other state seats will be contested in the general: nascent campaigner Republican Chris Holland is challenging two-term incumbent Dem Katherine Kazarian for the District 63 House seat while one-term incumbent Democratic Senator Cindy Coyne faces a challenge from fledgling Barrington Republican James Kazounis in Distrist 32.
The Party Primaries take place Tuesday, Sept. 13, while the General Election takes place Tuesday, Nov. 8.