Holyoke City Clerk Brenna Murphy Leary Announces Preliminary and Municipal Election Races

on the November 4, 2025, Municipal Election ballot was Tuesday, July 29, 2025. The ballot signals Preliminary races in Wards 1 and 5.

Preliminary races occur when more than two candidates seek the same seat. There will be preliminary contests for City Councilor in Ward 1 and School Committee Member in Ward 5. The Preliminary Election will be held on September 16, 2025, and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Ward 1 City Council Preliminary ballot will list incumbent Jenny Rivera and challengers Victor Machado and Jose R. Candelario. The Ward 5 School Committee Preliminary will involve newcomers Jens M. Michaelsen, James Alan Rossmeisl, and Aida Luz Oquendo Oquendo. Incumbent Ward 5 School Committee Member John G. Whelihan is not seeking re-election. The top two candidates in both of those races will move on to the Municipal Election being held on November 4, 2025.

Preliminary Election polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. at the following locations:

 Ward 1, Precinct A, Rosary Towers, 21 Bowers Street

 Ward 1, Precinct B, City Hall 536 Dwight St.

 Ward 5, Precinct A, Lt. Elmer J. McMahon School gym

 Ward 5, Precinct B, Maurice A. Donahue School gym

The Municipal Election ballot will list City Council contests in Wards 1, 3, and 4. The Ward 3 race will involve incumbent David K. Bartley and challenger Anne Thalheimer. The Ward 4 race is between newcomers Richard Paul Purcell and Peter Diaz Jr. Incumbent Kocayne S. Givner is not seeking re-election.

Uncontested races are:

 Mayor Joshua A. Garcia

 City Clerk Brenna Murphy Leary

 City Council Ward 2 newcomer Nicole Marie Maisonet. Incumbent Carmen Y. Ocasio is not seeking re-election.

 City Councilor Ward 5 Linda L. Vacon

 City Councilor Ward 6 Juan C. Anderson-Burgos

 City Councilor Ward 7 Meg Magrath-Smith.

 At-Large School Committee Member Devin Sheehan. (Two-year term)

 At-Large School Committee Member Mildred I. Lefebvre (Four-year term)

 School Committee Member Ward 1 Gladys Lebron-Martinez

 School Committee Member Ward 2 Rosalee Tensley Williams

 School Committee Member Ward 3 Yadilette Rivera-Colon

 School Committee Member Ward 4 Luis Orlando Isaza

 School Committee newcomer Ward 6 Patrick Bryan Beaudry. Incumbent William R. Collamore is not seeking re-election.

 School Committee Member Ward 7 Eleanor Mary Wilson

The City Councilor At-Large field is made up of incumbents City Council President Tessa R. Murphy-Romboletti, Patricia C. Devine, Israel Rivera, Howard B. Greaney Jr., Kevin Andrew Jourdain, and Michael J. Sullivan, as well as newcomers Jennifer M. Keitt, Mimi Panitch, and Christopher Dunay. Of those nine candidates, the top six will take seats on the City Council.