No special election for Guerriero's seat
Published on December 24th, 1997
STONEHAM MA. - Speaker of the House Thomas Finneran announced last week there will be no special election for the office of state representative, which will be vacated by Patrick Guerriero sometime in 1998. Guerriero is set to be sworn in as mayor of Melrose by Governor Paul Cellucci on January 5. Bill Kennedy, Finneran's chief of staff, late last week released the following statement "Speaker Tom Finneran has indicated that he does not intend to call a special election for the cities of Newton, Melrose and Milton as the result of an abbreviated legislative calendar for 1998 and the previously scheduled September primary and November general election." Finneran's decision means Guerriero will retain his seat at the State House, while also serving as Melrose's mayor, until the House of Representatives completes its budget process. "I intend to maintain my commitment to resign once I have assurances that Stoneham's money is in the state budget," said Guerriero, who expects to submit his letter of resignation near the end of April. After he steps down three precincts in Stoneham and the entire city of Melrose will be without a state representative until the November 1998 general election. Because 1998 is a state election year, legislators expect to end the year's session by July and not act.
November election. Therefore, Guerriero believes the two communities will be without representation for only a short period of time while the House is in session. While Melrose is solely represented by Guerriero, Stoneham also has representation in three precincts by Rep. Paul Casey of Winchester. Guerriero said he has been pushing for a decision, in part, out of fairness to the candidates who are seeking to fill the seat. At this point three Melrose residents have indicated a desire to run for Guerriero's seat including Melrose Aldermen Mike Festa and Mike Hughes as well as Paul O'Neil, a former aide to State Sen. Richard Tisei. Guerriero emphasized, however, that he intends to maintain a constituent office in Melrose.
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