Worcester election lineup set as candidate deadline passes

Final list includes new challengers, returning incumbents for council and school committee seats

BY

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Jun 28, 2025

WORCSTER—The ballot is set for Worcester’s 2025 municipal election, with the deadline to submit nomination papers having passed on May 6.

Dozens of candidates—including longtime incumbents, political newcomers, and returning names—are officially in the running for seats on the city council and school committee.

This year’s at-large city council race features a crowded field of 14 candidates, including all five current at-large councilors seeking re-election: Mayor Joseph Petty, Kate Toomey, Donna Colorio, Khrystian King, and Morris Bergman.

Also running are former school committee member Jermoh Kamara, former city councilor Gary Rosen, and perennial candidate Dr. Satya Mitra. Newcomers and returning names on the ballot include Charles Edward Luster, Cayden Davis, Edson Montero, Jessica R. Pepple, Bernard Philip Iandoli, and Owura-Kwaku Sarkodieh.

One additional at-large candidate, Kwesi Foster, remains pending certification.

District City Council Races:

District 1: Incumbent Tony Economou faces Keith J. Linhares.
District 2: Incumbent Candy F. Mero-Carlson is being challenged by Robert A. Bilotta.
District 3: John P. Fresolo and Robert F. Pezzella are the confirmed candidates.
District 4: Theodore A. Kostas and Luis Albizu Ojeda are in the running.
District 5: Incumbent Etel Haxhiaj will face Jose Antonio Rivera.

School Committee:

Three candidates are running for the at-large seats: incumbents Maureen F. Binienda and Susan M. Mailman, and newcomer Adwoa A. Sakyi-Lamptey.

District School Committee Races:

District A: Incumbent Molly O. McCullough is challenged by Ashley Rae Spring.
District B: Vanessa Zuleyma Alvarez is the lone candidate.
District C: Incumbent Dianna Biancheria faces Feanna Sharon Jattan-Singh.
District D: Alejandro Guardiola is running unopposed.
District E: Kathleen L. Roy, Nelly Medina, and Noelia M. Chafoya are on the ballot.
District F: Incumbent Jermaine Lamont Johnson is seeking re-election.

Candidates have until May 15 to withdraw. If necessary, a preliminary election will be held on Sept. 2. The general election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 4, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Stay tuned to The Worcester Guardian for full coverage and profiles of local candidates in the months ahead.

Have news, tips, or a story worth telling? Reach Editor Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org—because good stories (and great scoops) deserve to be shared.