Here are some updates from the campaign trail for the 2021 Manchester municipal election from the Week of May 16, 2021.
Sharonov sworn in as Ward 6 Alderman
Following his special election victory, Sebastian Sharonov was sworn in on Thursday as the Alderman for Ward 6.
“I am once again very humbled that Ward 6 voters put their trust in me and elected me to the City Hall to finish former Aldermen Moreau’s term. There is a lot to do this upcoming budget season, and I am ready to step in to the arena and honorably represent the hard-working residents of Ward 6,” said Sharonov. “As emphasized from the very beginning of my campaign, as a populist, one of my main concerns is to make sure the voices of Ward 6 voters are heard loud and clear at the City Hall. In order to do this effectively, I intend to hold quarterly ward town hall meetings to answer constituents’ questions as well as listen to voters’ concerns and ideas. Time and place of the first such meeting will be announced shortly.”
Sharonov and the other 12 current Aldermen will see their terms end in January 2022. A special election will be held during the municipal primary in September to determine the Alderman for Ward 8 serving until January 2022, triggered by the resignation of Michael Porter.
The municipal primary will determine the two final candidates in each of the 12 Ward Aldermen and Board of School Committee member races and the mayoral race, and the final four candidates in for the two At-Large slots on the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and Board of School Committee. Those final candidates will then vie against each other in November to see who will serve from January 2022 to January 2024.
The candidates in the Ward 8 special election may concurrently run in the Ward 8 primary.
Sharonov has also announced that he will assist Ward 8 residents with concerns until September, echoing Porter’s aid to Ward 6 residents following the resignation of Elizabeth Moreau last October.
Craig receives praise from Congressional Delegation
In response to the recently-released guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury on how municipalities are able to spend funds from the American Rescue Plan, members of New Hampshire’s Federal Delegation praised Mayor Craig on her advocacy for the direct aid.
“Mayor Craig’s leadership and advocacy throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been instrumental in informing federal relief legislation and underscoring the needs of New Hampshire communities on the frontlines of this crisis,” said U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH). “I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Mayor Craig, and city and municipal leaders across New Hampshire, to deliver meaningful resources for local governments across our state that meet the most pressing needs of localities and Granite Staters. Help is on the way and I look forward to continuing to work with our cities and towns as funding from the American Rescue Plan is put to use.”
“Mayor Craig has been a valuable partner and strong advocate for Manchester, helping to ensure that federal relief is targeted to keep small businesses open and protect public health,” said U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH). “I look forward to continuing to work with Mayor Craig to make sure that American Rescue Plan funds help Manchester get more vaccines in arms, put people back to work, and protect small businesses.”
“Cities like Manchester have been on the front lines of this health and economic crisis from the beginning, and I’ve been proud to partner with leaders like Mayor Craig throughout this unprecedented time to help our state weather the storm,” said U.S. Representative Chris Pappas. (D-NH) “For over a year, Mayor Craig has joined me and leaders from throughout the state in advocating for COVID-19 relief, including the kind of direct, flexible funding for municipal, county, and state governments included in the American Rescue Plan. This support will help ensure that Manchester can continue to provide critical services and allow us to finally put this pandemic in our rearview mirror.”
New Sullivan endorsements
This week, Victoria Sullivan and announced her mayoral campaign has received several more endorsements, putting the total to over a dozen so far.
Some of the endorsements include former State Senator Tom DeBlois, former and current State Representatives (Larry Gagne, Joseph Lachance, Mark McLean, Tammy Simmons) as well as former and current Aldermen and Board of School Committee Members (Lachance, John Avard, Keith Hirschmann).
“As we move deeper into this campaign, I look forward to getting our message out to more community leaders in the Queen City. Our team is striving every single day to return Manchester to a thriving place for those that live here, work here, and for those who visit us. I know we can do better as a city, our endorsers know we can, and together we will get the hard work done for a better Manchester,” said Sullivan.
Girard releases new plan on schools
This week, Mayoral Candidate Rich Girard announced his educational plan, which focuses on school choice.
The plan follows earlier plan announcements focusing on homelessness and the what should be done with the former Sununu Youth Detention Center.
A full copy of the plan can be found here.