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Voters' Guide

LWVN 2021 Voters Guide is here!

To help voters learn more about the candidates in the upcoming election, LWVN invited all candidates to submit answers to 3 questions and compiled their answers into our

2021 Voters Guide

All candidates were asked to answer the following two questions:

  • Q1: What in your background prepares you to be effective in the political office you are seeking?
  • Q2: If you’re elected, what will be your first priority? Why? How will you address your priority?

The third question varied by office, as follows:

  • Q3, Mayor: How will you ensure that city employees work in a respectful, transparent, and accountable environment that has a strong performance management and development process?
  • Q3, Councilor At Large: Please explain what diversity, equity, and inclusion mean to you. Why these are important to Newton?
  • Q3, Ward Councilor: How will you make your decision to vote on a proposal that positively affects Newton overall but seems less so for all or part of your ward?
  • Q3, School Committee: What is your plan to communicate the Newton schools’ plans, decisions, and programs to residents without children in Newton schools? How will you engage with them?

Find the answers in the 2021 Voters Guide!

Voters Guide: Newton Preliminary Election, September 14, 2021

To help voters learn more about the candidates for mayor in the preliminary election on September 14, the LWVN invited all the candidates to submit a brief biographical statement and answers to the three questions below. Submissions were strictly limited to 300 characters (bio), and 650 characters (answers).

  • Q1: How would you balance the commercial need for stronger village centers with the concerns voiced by some residents for increased density, and how would you accomplish that?
  • Q2: What is your vision for the Newton Police Department and how would/does your budget support your vision?
  • Q3: What policies would you put in place to reduce residential and city solid waste and carbon emissions?

Click each candidate’s name below to read their answers.

For more information on the preliminary election for Mayor, visit the Newton Elections Department.

Candidates for Mayor

Albert Cecchinelli

Ruthanne Fuller

Amy Sangiolo

Voter Service Update for the Fall 2019 Municipal Election

LWVN held 10 Candidates’ Forums this election season, including two for Ward 5 Ward Councilor, both before and after the preliminary election.  All were produced with NewTV, our long-time partner, recorded at NewTV, and made available through the NewTV and LWVN websites.  These were for contested seats on the City Council only.  Although there were also three contested School Committee races, one candidate in each race declined to participate.  Because LWV does not hold ‘empty chair’ debates, we had to cancel the School Committee Candidate Forums.

The LWVN Online Voters Guide did include all candidates for City Council and School Committee, including those in uncontested races and those whose opponents chose not to participate.  This was made available to the public approximately three weeks before the election.  City Council candidates were asked four questions, and the School Committee members were asked five.

LWVN also created ‘Saturday Night at the Races,’ a ‘candidating’ type event for City Council candidates, which was co-sponsored with 7 other Newton organizations.  The event was held at the War Memorial at City Hall, and involved groups of citizens conversing with the City Council candidates by ward.  Every 15 minutes, voters were asked to move to a new table to meet a new set of candidates.  This was quite well-received, both by the candidates and by the voters, who enjoyed an opportunity for face-to-face discussions on issues raised directly by the voters.  Many especially appreciated being able to meet with candidates who did not have challengers, but who nevertheless made the effort to meet voters and discuss important topics.  We expect to continue this event in the next election, but will work to address some issues raised (mainly the noise level and timing).

In an effort to learn more about a new incoming City Councilor, LWVN did also host Ward 8 Ward Council candidate Holly Ryan on our monthly NewTV program, ‘The League Presents’.  Because Holly did not have a challenger, either on the ballot or as a write-in, we felt it was acceptable to meet with her individually and talk about some of the same issues discussed in our Candidates’ Forums. 

LWVN thanks our Voter Service team of co-chairs Bonnie Carter, Sharyn Roberts and Sue Flicop, as well as Lucia Dolan, Lois Levin, Karen Manning, Lisa Mirabile, dozens of LWVN volunteers for the Candidates’ Forums and Saturday Night at the Races, the wonderful NewTV staff, and our co-sponsors for Saturday Night at the Races:  Green Newton,  Mothers Out Front, 350 Mass for a Better Future, Newton Needham Regional Chamber, Newton Conservators, Newton Council on Aging!

Submitted by Sue Flicop

Send us your questions for candidates in the upcoming elections!

We are preparing for upcoming LWVN/NewTV Candidates’ Forums and the LWVN Voters’ Guide and need your help!  Send us questions YOU would like to ask candidates for At-Large City Council, Ward Council and School Committee seats.  We can’t guarantee they will be used verbatim, but we will try to address as many topics and questions as possible.  We especially appreciate questions that are direct and about 1-2 sentences long–these tend to mean more direct and focused answers. Please use this form to submit your questions:  Questions for Candidates 2019.

Our forums will be taped at NewTV, to be shown on NewTV at a later date and available online.  Check our website in mid-August for viewing information!