One of the city’s most active voting neighborhoods appears set to join District 3 (Belvidere) and District 7 (The Acre) in holding a Preliminary Election on September 9th.
Westford Street resident Marcos Candido filed a Statement of Organization with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance yesterday, joining District 8 incumbent John Descoteaux and challenger Francisco Maldonado in the race to represent the Upper Highlands neighborhood on the next city council.
Candido pulled nomination papers with the Lowell Election Office on June 23rd. If he returns those papers with the required number of certified signatures by July 22nd, it will trigger the September preliminary to winnow the field down from three candidates to two for the November 4th General Election.
Candido describes himself as a first generation son-of-immigrants born-and-raised in Lowell, bouncing around the city until settling next to Tyler Park. He graduated Lowell High School and attended John Hopkins University in Baltimore, studying neuroscience.
The candidate’s website lists housing reform, healthy transit initiatives and revamping child care as issues he’ll focus on during the campaign, while citing the need for “progressive, passionate, and principled people” leading the city.”
“I believe local politics are an overlooked avenue for real change and we need a city council that can meet the moment with a fresher and bolder vision,” Candido tells InsideLowell. “For that reason, I’m running to address the everyday concerns of all Lowellians through reforming and expanding housing, childcare, and transit initiatives.”
With less than three weeks remaining for candidates to pull paperwork for the upcoming election, the three districts mentioned above have enough candidates to trigger a preliminary in September.
District 2 (Centralville), District 4 (Downtown) and the At-Large slots on the council will feature contested races in November, while District 1 (Pawtucketville), District 5 (South Lowell) and District 6 (Lower Highlands) have yet to see a challenger emerge for the incumbents looking to hold onto their seats.
