Candidates Begin Pulling Papers for Fall’s Municipal Election

UPDATE: 6/11/25: Official municipal documents show that Carol Spack has pulled papers for the District 2 City Council seat, which is currently occupied by Brandon Ward.

A previous update to this story can be found below.

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UPDATE: 6/10/25: Former City Council member John Stefanini has pulled nomination papers, entering the race for the District 8 City Council seat currently occupied by Leslie White Harvey.

"It's time to stand up for our community. It's time to demand better. It’s time for us to continue our work," Stefanini wrote in a Facebook post published on Tuesday, June 10.

Official city documents indicate that Judy Styer pulled papers for her bid to be reelected to the District 5 School Committee seat on Tuesday as well.

The original story can be found below.

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FRAMINGHAM - Nomination papers for positions within Framingham’s municipal government are now available, as incumbents and challengers have begun to take the first steps in their campaigns ahead of November’s general election.

Residents were able to pull nomination papers starting on Friday, May 30. Those documents can be filed to the City Clerk’s office until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15.

The mayoral race will be topping the ballot in this fall’s election. Mayor Charlie Sisitsky is running for another term, as he pulled his papers on the first day that they were available. Back in January, former School Committee member Geoffrey Epstein formally announced his decision to challenge the incumbent Sisitsky. Epstein also pulled his nomination papers on May 30. Richard Matias later pulled paper for mayor on June 2, according to official municipal documents.

All nine district-specific seats on the Framingham City Council will be up for grabs in November, as incumbents Christine Long of District 1, Brandon Ward of District 2, Michael Cannon of District 4, Noval Alexander of District 5, Phil Ottaviani of District 6, and Leora Mallach of District 7 have all pulled their papers for reelection.

Mary Kate Feeney recently announced on social media that she will be running for the District 3 seat on the City Council after she pulled papers on May 30. Among other roles throughout the community,  Feeney has served as the Chair of the local Strategic Initiatives and Financial Oversight Committee and is a co-founder of the Friends of Framingham Trails.

In her announcement, she told community members that she wants to move Framingham “forward, not in circles.”

“The question isn't whether change will come to Framingham,” Feeney wrote.

“The question is whether we'll lead that change or let it happen to us.”

Feeney is running for the seat currently held by Adam Steiner, who will not be running for reelection this year. Steiner had previously defeated Feeney in a special election for the District 3 seat back in 2022.

Meanwhile, Steven Belcher pulled papers to contest Cannon for the District 4 position on the City Council. As of the time of publication, records show that no papers have been pulled for the District 8 and District 9 City Council spots, which are currently held by Leslie White Harvey and Tracey Bryant respectively.

All positions on the Framingham School Committee will also be on November’s ballot. District 1’s Rich Robles, District 3’s Jennifer Moshe, District 4’s Adam Freudberg, District 8’s Jessica Barnhill, and District 9’s William LaBarge have all pulled papers for their reelection bids.

Brent Lewis and Eddie Rodriguez have both pulled papers and entered the race for the District 6 School Committee seat, which is currently held by Valerie Ottaviani.

“My kids are Framingham Public School kids, and I am running for School Committee because I believe that strong public schools are essential for our community and families to thrive,” Lewis, the husband of 7th Middlesex District State Representative Jack Patrick Lewis, wrote on his campaign donation page.

“I’m very passionate about education and would now like to invest in and serve the community by contributing positively, alongside my fellow school committee members, to the educational excellence of Framingham Public Schools,” Rodriguez, who works in finance, said in a YouTube video announcing his candidacy.

Local records indicate that Valerie Ottaviani has not yet pulled papers for reelection to the School Committee as of the time of publication.

Kyle Shepherd has also pulled papers for the District 7 School Committee spot, while incumbent Tiffanie Maskell has not yet done so as of the time of publication, according to local records. To date, no papers have been pulled for the District 2 or District 5 seats on the School Committee, which are currently occupied by David Gordon and Judy Styer respectively.

Incumbents Matthew Corcoran, Jenny DeArcangelis, Steven Malchman, Isabella Petroni, and Ruth Winett have all pulled papers for their roles on the Board of Library Trustees. Cemetery Trustee Chair Dennis Cardiff has pulled papers for reelection as well.

Election Day in Framingham is scheduled for November 4.