Kelcourse returns papers for mayoral run against Gove

Jul. 24—AMESBURY — The race for mayor is on for November.

Mayor Kassandra Gove announced her candidacy for reelection to another two-year term soon after she took out nomination papers to run in mid-May. The mayor needed 50 certified signatures in order to be placed on the November's ballot and returned 93 by mid-June.

James Kelcourse, a former city councilor and current state representative, announced his mayoral candidacy after taking out nomination papers in mid-June. Kelcourse returned his nomination papers to the City Clerk's Office on Thursday and was certified to run in November with 293 signatures on Friday.

Former selectman Jim Thieverge has also taken out nomination papers to run for mayor but had yet to return them as of Friday. If Thieverge is certified to run for mayor, a preliminary election will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 14.

Elsewhere on the Amesbury political scene, the race for City Council should be fairly quiet in 2021. All three at large city councilors — Steve Stanganelli, Adrienne Lennon and Scott Mandeville — have returned their certified signatures to run for two-year terms.

Incumbent District 2 Councilor Anthony Rinaldi, District 4 Councilor Nicholas Wheeler and District 6 Councilor Michael Hogg have also all returned their certified nomination papers for reelection.

Incumbent District 1 City Councilor Pam Gilday and her District 3 counterpart Matt Einson had not taken out papers to run for reelection as of Friday morning.

Barring a write-in candidacy, it is likely that Main Street resident Jonathan Hickock will become the next District 1 councilor.

Winter Street resident Roger Deschenes has also taken out papers to run for the District 3 council seat but he had yet to return them to City Hall as of Friday morning.

District 5 Councilor Tim Kisieleski has also not taken out nomination papers to run for another term but former District 5 City Councilor Joe McMilleon has, returning his certified nomination papers on Friday morning. McMilleon represented District 5 for many years on the council. He ran unsuccessfully for an at-large council seat in 2019.

McMilleon should have a race on his hands, however, since Spindletree Road resident Peter Frey has also had his papers to run for the District 5 Council seat certified.

A trio of four-year terms on the School Committee will also be on the November ballot and incumbents, Peter Hoyt and Abigail Jurist Levy have both been certified to run. Fern Avenue resident Katherine Smith has also taken out papers to run for a School Committee seat but had not returned them as of Friday.

Five, four-year seats are also available on the Library Board of Trustees and current members, Bethany Lynne Sullivan, Laurie Cameron and Anne Campbell have all taken out papers to run for another term, leaving two seats available.

Incumbent Planning Board members Pascal Rettig and Keith Ratner have also pulled papers for another, four-year term, leaving three more seats available.

Scott Kelley of Cedar Street has also taken out nomination papers for a term on the Planning Board as has Joel Nice of Collins Street .

Incumbent Housing Authority members Michael Noon and Lindsey Haight have also taken out nomination papers to run for another, four-year term. Sandra Clark of Whitehall Road has also taken out nomination papers to run for a two-year seat on the Housing Authority.

Friday was the deadline for potential candidates to take out nomination papers from the City Clerk's office. All signatures must be returned to City Hall by Tuesday, July 27 at 5 p.m.

The 2021 municipal election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 2.

Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.