Quote:

Originally Posted by Manchester_Underground
Alderman at Large: There will be an opening here once Mike Lopez gets around to actually announcing for mayor. The early betting is that ward 1 alderman Mark Roy will be the choice of the Democratic power brokers. West Side Rep. Jane Beaulieu is also mulling a run, possibly to lay the groundwork for a future mayoral campaign. On the Republican side, few names have surfaced so far. Keith Hirschmann had been looking at the race, but he is now likely to seek his old ward 12 seat.

Ward 1: With Mark Roy giving up the seat to run citywide, look for an expensive and possibly crowded race. Siobhan Keefe Tautkus, who ran a credible race against Roy in 2005, could make another run, as could former alderman Dave Wihby. School Board vice chair Leslee Stewart might want to make the move to city hall as well.

Ward 2: State Democratic chair Ray Buckley has made it clear that Ted Gatsas is his number one target. While Dem insiders would love to see Jim Craig enter the race, that seems like a long shot at this point. Craig's neighbor and fellow attorney Pete Duffy is sometimes mentioned, but his independent streak might make for a testy relationship with the Buckley team. Former Baines aide David Scannell is a ward 2 resident and can't be counted out as a potential candidate.

Ward 3: This is shaping up as a potential intramural scrum between two strong Democrats who have won this ward in the past. Incumbent Pat Long will face former state rep. Peter Sullivan. Right now, there is no clear Republican candidate, though the inimitable Joe Kelly Levasseur can never be counted out until the filing deadline passes. Keith Murphy, a 2006 legislative candidate, might get into the race, but would probably struggle to make the run off against two strong candidates.

Ward 4: Jerome Duval is a heavy favorite to win re-election. He is not seen as overly partisan, and has a decent relationship with some Republicans. Also working in his favor is the lack of a top tier opponent. Former alderman Mary Sysyn is unlikely to run again, and none of the ward's legislators seem ready to make the jump to city hall.

Ward 5: Another election, another win for Ed Osborne.

Ward 6: Every year, this seems to come down to Real Pinard vs. Paul Porter, so why buck the trend. Don't look for it to change. Another dozen vote margin of victory for one of these guys.

Ward 7: Word is that Bill Shea will face a challenge for the first time in many elections. A local business type and long time ward resident (who is a registered independent) is said to be lining up support.

Ward 8: Will she or won't she? If Betsi DeVries runs again, she will win by a landslide. If not, this could be another swing seat. School board member Doug Kruse will almost certainly run if Betsi bows out. Former state rep. and restarauteur Tom Katsiantonis is a possible pick for the Democratic city hall folks.

Ward 9: Mike Garrity faces no serious opposition, and probably cruises to an easy victory.

Ward 10: George Smith probably can hold this seat as long as he wants. If his health leads him to step down, Ray Hebert would probably make another run at the seat. Jane Beaulieu might be tempted to forgo the at-large race if this was an open seat.

Ward 11: With Hank Thibault's days on the board looking numbered, school board member Russ Ouelette will be the choice of the local Democratic machine. Republicans would like to see 2005 candidate Jason Cooper, who nearly defeated Thibault, make another run.

Ward 12: With the exception of Ted Gatsas, this is the seat that will draw Buckley's attention the most. Keith Hirschmann has won the seat in the past, and nearly reclaimed it two years ago. The problem is that there is no consensus "Stop Hirschmann" candidate at this point. If the opposition remains fragmented, Hirschmann should win in this rather conservative ward.

Quote:

Originally Posted by scoops
Mr. RobertT: Osbourne can't be beaten.  It's just not going to happen.  Good luck though. No one owns any seat anywhere.