Beacon Hill isn’t the only place with lack of competition. City and town halls see it, too

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Massachusetts already has a reputation for the least competitive legislative elections, as incumbents walk, rather than run, back to their seats. In some cities and towns across the Bay State, the situation isn’t any better ahead of the Nov. 4 election.

The list of cities with uncontested mayoral ballots includes Agawam, Chicopee, Fitchburg, Holyoke, Leominster, Lynn, Marlborough, Medford, Salem, Weymouth and Woburn. (Boston’s on there, too, with Josh Kraft dropping his challenge against Mayor Michelle Wu after he was thrashed in the September preliminary.)

Elaine Almquist, a campaign consultant, knew anecdotally about the issue of uncontested municipal-level races, but it wasn’t until she worked with Contest Every Race, a Democratic recruitment outfit, that she saw the breadth of the problem.

It’s driven by a lack of readily available information on some city or town websites detailing who is running for which position on the ballot and when residents can vote, she said. “It’s chicken and egg. People don’t know about them, they don’t run, and when they’re not competitive, people don’t vote.”

Massachusetts municipal elections most often occur in odd-numbered years. Some towns hold elections as early as January, and have a different set-up from cities, with select boards and town meetings. Then there are various obscure boards and panels, like the cemetery commission.

That gives you an idea of the tall task facing Almquist as she looks to create a public, searchable dashboard that would list all of the elected municipal positions and involves chasing town officials for the information. She’s calling it The Local Election Transparency Project, and is in talks with Boston University to give it a boost.

Current and former elected officials say that much like with the Legislature, the uncontested races can be a sign of voter satisfaction. And they’re quick to point out instances of competitive elections.

Salem’s mayor, Dominick Pangallo, doesn’t have a challenger, “but we have a really robust set of folks running for city council,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, who previously held his job. “I was in Needham yesterday, and they were talking about their school committee race. And so it depends on the municipality.”

Robert Hedlund, a former state senator who served as Weymouth’s mayor for nearly a decade, pointed to a variety of factors. Hedlund stepped down earlier this year, citing burnout and some health issues. Mike Molisse, a real estate agent who was serving as City Council president, stepped in as acting mayor, and now is running for the permanent job without opposition. “Mike’s very popular because he’s been visible, a councilor for 26 years,” Hedlund said. “There’s different ways to analyze [the dearth of competition].”

Hedlund added that the electorate isn’t as well-informed as it used to be, and social media carries some of the blame. “The death of newspapers is a big part of it and the misinformation on social media is a big part of it,” he said. “I think that’s driving the lack of interest.”

What municipal races are you watching on Nov. 4? Drop me a line and I’ll put it on my list: [email protected].

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10:00 | Sen. Rebecca Rausch hosts a press conference about a bill she filed this week to enhance investigation protocols in death cases following a history of domestic violence. | Room 222, State House, Boston

10:00 | Cannabis Control Commission meets, holding the meeting that was postponed from Friday, Oct. 24. Commissioners are expected to return to their review of social consumption regulations. The agenda also calls for a discussion and possible vote on actions necessary to validate the actions the CCC took between September 2023 and September 2025. | Agenda and Access Info

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2:30 | Attorney General Andrea Campbell visits Willow Terrace Mobile Home Park, a Taunton manufactured housing community whose owner she sued last month for unfair and retaliatory rent increases. The AG will meet with residents who have been corresponding with her office about potential violations of the state’s manufactured housing law, her office said. | 1 Willow Terrace, Taunton

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