By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — Interest in the annual Town Election continues to grow. As of press time, four additional candidates have pulled nomination papers at the Town Clerk’s Office announcing their intention to seek office locally, bringing the number of potential candidates to six.
Incumbent Select Board member Richard Wallner, 57 Lakeside Blvd., pulled papers for a three-year term on the Select Board on Friday, Jan. 24.
Also last Friday, Community Planning Commission (CPC) member Edward Sheehan, 5 Brassie Way, pulled papers to fill the two-year vacancy on that board created by the departure of Ryan Carroll, who moved from town in the fall. Sheehan was jointly appointed to fill Carroll’s seat through the May 6 election by the CPC and the Select Board from a field of four applicants.
On Monday, Jan. 27, Jeffrey Griffin, 31 Abbott Road, pulled papers for a three-year term on the Select Board. Griffin is finishing up his first three-year term on the Community Planning Commission.
Incumbent Town Moderator John J. Murphy pulled papers on Tuesday, Jan. 28 to run for the seat he’s held for 20 years. The position of Town Moderator is the only elective office on the ballot with a one-year term.
These four candidates join two others who pulled papers last week: incumbent School Committee member Jeffrey Friedman, 51 Lindor Rd., who is seeking a second three-year term, and Michael Scarlata, 240 Martins Landing, U102, a first-time local office seeker running for one of two seats on the Select Board.
Rules for running for elective office
All candidates must submit nomination papers for all town elective offices by Tuesday, March 18 at 5 p.m. for certification of signatures by the Town Clerk’s Office (MGL c53, §7). At least 50 certified town-wide signatures are required. Town Clerk Susan Duplin recommends that all candidates obtain more than 50 signatures in case some of those signatures are not certifiable.
Other important dates in the election season include the deadline for a candidate to file a withdrawal from inclusion on the ballot or for anyone to file objections to nomination papers filed with the Town Clerk’s Office, which is Thursday, April 3 at 5 p.m. (MGL c53, §11).
Additionally, the deadline to register to vote in the Tuesday, May 6 Town Election is Saturday, April 26 at 5 p.m. (MGL c39, §10). The Town Clerk’s Office will be open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on deadline day, per state law, or voters may check their status and register to vote online via the state’s website at https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ovr/ by the deadline.
2025 TOWN ELECTIVE OFFICES
The elective offices on the May 6 Town Election ballot are as follows:
• Town Moderator, 1-year term – vote for one. (Incumbent is John Murphy.)
• Select Board, 3-year term – vote for two. (Incumbents are Liane Gonzalez and Richard Wallner.)
• School Committee, 3-year term – vote for two. (Incumbents are Jeffrey Friedman and Noelle Rudloff.)
• Community Planning Commission (CPC), 3-year term – vote for two. (Incumbents are David Rudloff and Warren Pearce.)
• Community Planning Commission (CPC), 2-year term – vote for one (to fill a vacancy created after Ryan Carroll moved from town last fall.)
• Housing Authority, 5-year term – vote for one. (Incumbent is Michele Mawn.)
Those with any questions about any aspect of the Town Election may contact the Town Clerk’s Office for more information at www.northreadingma.gov/town-clerk/pages/voting-elections or call 978-357-5230.