WORCESTER—While the mayoral candidates in Worcester’s race have raised nearly $120,000, their fellow councilor at-large candidates who are opting out of the race for the city’s highest elected office have also done their fair share of fundraising.
The six councilor-at-large candidates who aren’t running for mayor have raised nearly $95,000 this year, according to Office of Campaign and Political Finance data. In Worcester, all councilor-at-large are entered into the mayoral race unless they withdraw their name, per the city’s “Plan E” form of government.
Newcomer Domenica Perrone has pulled in the most this year out of the strictly councilor at-large candidates at more than $23,000 and has spent a little more than $10,600 on her campaign. Thanks to fundraising prior to this year, Perrone has more than $16,000 in cash on hand.
Perrone’s top contributor this year is Meredith McNeill who works for the Education Advisory Board in Washington D.C. and contributed $1,000. Her next top contributor is Luis Ortiz, a hairstylist, who contributed $600.
Perrone has also received $500 donations from the following:
- Mary-Ellen Boyle, dean of Clark University
- John Esler, who is listed as not employed
- Elisa Woo, an occupational therapist
- Viviana Abreu-Hernandez, a higher education administrator at Quinsigamond Community College
Several unions made $500 contributions to the Perrone’s campaign, including:
- 1199 SEIU MA
- SEIU Local 32BJ United ADF
- SEIU Mass
- UBC & JA Local 336
Perrone’s fellow candidates have also bolstered her campaign, along with other area politicians, including:
- Robert Bilotta, a candidate for District 2 councilor, contributed $125
- Guillermo Creamer Jr., a mayoral candidate, contributed $50
- Etel Haxhiaj, a District 5 Councilor and candidate, contributed $200
- Jermoh Kamara, a school committee member and candidate, contributed $50
- Robyn Kennedy, state senator, contributed $150
- Sue Coghlin Mailman, contributed $52.50
- Maydee Morales, councilor at-large candidate contributed $100.00
- Thu Nguyen, councilor at-large and candidate, contributed $100
- Katia Norford, a candidate for district 4, contributed $50
Incumbent Councilor At-Large Morris Bergman has raised the second-most of the strictly councilor-at-large candidates at nearly $21,000. He has spent the most this year out of his category of candidates at $13,500+, but also has the most cash on hand—nearly $30,000— thanks to previous fundraising efforts
Bessie Hazard, a physician, is Bergman’s top contributor with her $1,000 donation. His second highest contributor is Robert Kirsch, owner of Kirsch Liquors, who contributed $600, followed by Carl Goldstein, an accountant with Shepherd & Goldstein, who donated $536.
Bergman has also received $500 contributions from the following:
- Stephen Cohen, manager of Holy Chesnut LLC
- John Direnzo, owner of Direnzo Towing & Recovery
- Nader Djafari, realtor and manager with Max Mia properties
- Myron Katz, president of General Realty Corp.
The councilor at-large also received a few $500 contributions from the following unions:
- IUOE Local 4
- MA & Northern New England Laborers
- Plumbers and Pipefitter Local 4
The politicians supporting Bergman monetarily include:
- Alex Guardiola, Worcester School Committee candidate and a VP for the Worcester Chamber of Commerce, contributed $100
- Candy Mero-Carlson, District 2 councilor and candidate, contributed $100
- Lewis Evangelidis, Worcester County sheriff, contributed $100
- Kate Toomey, at-large councilor and candidate, contributed $100
Incumbent Kate Toomey came in third fundraising-wise among the group of strictly councilor-at-large candidates, at more than $18,000 raised, according to OCPF data. She spent about half of that this year and has a little more than $12,600 in cash on hand thanks to previous fundraising efforts.
Toomey’s top supporters, monetarily speaking, who made $500 contributions, include:
- John Direnzo, owner of Direnzo Towing & Recovery
- Hassan Yatim, COO of Yatco Energy and CEO of the Massachusetts Pirates
- Frank Santa Maria, a gas station owner
- Paul Tinsley, retired
Several unions made $500 contributions to Toomey’s campaign:
- Plumbers and Pipefitter Local 4
- Roofers’ Local 33
- MA Laborers’
- IBEW Local 2325
- IUOE Local 4
- IBEW Local 96
Toomey’s fellow politicians have also contributed to her campaign:
- Lewis Evangelidis, Worcester County sheriff, contributed $100
- Alex Guardiola, Worcester School Committee candidate and a VP for the Worcester Chamber of Commerce, contributed $100
- Michael O. Moore, state senator, contributed $100
Other recognizable names among Toomey’s contributors include Worcester Chamber of Commerce President Tim Murray, who gave $200, and real estate developer Chip Norton, who donated $250.
Challenger Maydeé Morales came just shy of Toomey’s fundraised total this year at nearly $17,000. She’s spent more than $7,000 and has $11,600+ in cash on hand thanks to fundraising efforts prior to 2023.
Her top contributor is David Coyne, who has contributed $1,000 and is listed as retired.
Morales has had several $500 contributors, including:
- Margot Bernet, a chiropractor
- Viviana Abreu-Hernandez, a higher education administrator at Quinsigamond Community College
- John Elser, who is listed as not employed
- Ann Lisi, retired
- Gina Plata-Nino, a lawyer who acted as campaign manager for Sen. Robyn Kennedy
- Christine Doyle, retired
- Michael Doyle, an emergency physician
- Mary Forell Davis, retired
- Viviana Abreu-Hernandez, a higher education administrator at Quinsigamond Community College
One union made a $500 donation to Morales: UBC & JA Local 336.
Morales has garnered the support of many of her fellow candidates and politicians, including:
- Mary Keefe, state representative, contributed $100
- Guilermo Creamer Jr., mayoral candidate, contributed $50
- Etel Haxhiaj, District 5 councilor and candidate, contributed $200
- Jermaine Johnson, school committee member and candidate, contributed $50
- Robyn Kennedy, state senator, contributed $100
- Susan Coghlin Mailman, school committee member and candidate, contributed $275
- Thu Nguyen, councilor at-large and candidate, contributed $100
- Jenny Pacillo, candidate for District 1, contributed $25
- Phil Palmieri, former District 2 city councilor, contributed $75
- Domenica Perrone, councilor at-large candidate, contributed $100
Incumbent Thu Nguyen has raised nearly $11,000 this year and spent more than $5,400. Fundraising previous to this year has left them with slightly more than $6,600 in cash on hand.
Nguyen’s top contributors this year are software developer Holmes Wilson, who contributed $1,000 to their campaign fund, and UBC & JA Local 336 which also shelled out $1,000. David Coyne, who is retired, donated $700 and Jacqueline Nguyen, a birth registrar, donated $500.
Other unions also make up some of Nguyen’s top contributors. The following contributed $500 to their campaign:
- MA & Northern New England Laborers
- SEIU Local 32BJ United ADF
- SEIU Local 509
Politicians that have bolstered Nguyen’s campaign include:
- Robert Bilotta, a candidate for District 2, contributed $200
- Khrystian King, councilor-at-large and mayoral candidate, contributed $100
- Guillermo Creamer Jr., a mayoral candidate, contributed $25
- Etel Haxhiaj, a District 5 councilor and candidate, contributed $100
- Domenica Perrone, a councilor-at-large candidate, contributed $100
- Maydeé Morales, a councilor-at-large candidate, contributed $100
Newcomer Johanna Hampton-Dance has fundraised more than $4,500 and spent nearly all of it, with around $770 left in cash on hand, according to OCPF data.
Software Developer Holmes Wilson accounts for nearly a quarter of her funds, giving her campaign $1,000 in May. Other top contributors include Mary Depew, who contributed $675 and is listed as unemployed, and Mary Fior, a personal care attendant at Tempus who contributed $600.
Fellow candidates and politicians who contributed to her campaign include.
- Robert Bilotta, a District 2 candidate, contributed $50
- Susan Coghlin Mailman, school committee member and candidate, contributed $150
- Nelly Medina, a school committee candidate, contributed $50
- Maydeé Morales, councilor-at-large candidate, contributed $25
- Phil Palmieri, a former District 2 city councilor, contributed $150
- Domenica Perrone, a councilor-at-large candidate, contributed $25
No unions have donated to Hampton-Dance, according to OCPF data.
Worcester residents have until Oct. 28 to register to vote in the municipal election, the same day early in-person voting starts.
Kiernan Dunlop is an award-winning journalist who has spent the past five years reporting in Worcester, New Bedford and Antigua and Barbuda. She’s been published in Bloomberg, USA Today, Canary Media, MassLive, and the New Bedford Standard Times, among other outlets. She can be contacted at kdunlop@theworcesterguardian.org
