Mayor Pluta is being challenged by Daniel Boyle, Alex Morse and Daniel Burns.
Vote being counted in the tabulation machine in recent Holyoke election.HOLYOKE – A preliminary election will be required on Sept. 20 to narrow the field to the two top vote-getters in races for mayor and Ward 7 City Council.
The deadline passed Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. for incumbents and challengers for mayor, City Council and School Committee to file nomination papers bearing signatures of registered voters.
Election day is Nov. 8.
Incumbent Mayor Elaine A. Pluta is seeking reelection to her second, two-year term.
Pluta has three challengers: Alex B. Morse, youth counselor and job developer at CareerPoint here; business consultant Daniel C. Boyle, whom Pluta defeated in the 2009 election; and former city councilor Daniel C. Burns.
The mayor’s yearly salary is $85,000.
Perhaps the biggest surprise at the filing deadline was that Police Capt. Alan G. Fletcher, a 43-year veteran who is retiring in October, is running for Ward 7 City Council.
John J. O’Neill, the incumbent Ward 7 councilor, didn’t take out nomination papers to seek reelection.
Competing with Fletcher for the Ward 7 council seat are Gordon Paul Alexander, of 1450 Northampton St., chairman of the Conservation Commission, and Christopher Kulig, of 63 Jarvis Ave., who was on the charter review commission.
On Monday, Ward 3 Councilor Anthony M. Keane told The Republican and MassLive.com he wouldn’t seek reelection.
Seeking the Ward 3 council seat are Richard P. Purcell, of 99 Martin St., and David K. Bartley, of 25 Hillcrest Ave., son of David M. Bartley, former speaker of the state House of Representatives and former president of Holyoke Community College.
Gladys Lebron-Martinez will vacate her Ward 1 School Committee post to try to unseat Ward 1 City Councilor Donald R. Welch.
Vying for the Ward 1 School Committee seat will be Joshua A. Garcia, of 76 North East St., and John C. Pietrzykowski Sr., of 28 North Bridge St.
In other School Committee races, Ward 5 member Devin M. Sheehan seeks reelection against Reynaldo Martinez Jr., of 14 Sterling Road, and Ward 6 member William R. Collamore faces a challenge from Jaime Cotto, of 6 Shawmut Ave.
Unopposed School Committee members are Howard B. Greaney Jr., at large; Yvonne Garcia, Ward 2; Dennis W. Birks Jr., Ward 3; Cesar A. Lopez, Ward 4; and Margaret M. Boulais, Ward 7.
In other City Council races, with Ward 2 incumbent Diosdado Lopez having announced he won’t seek reelection, the seat is up for grabs between Anthony Soto, of 10 James St., a former Fire Commission member, and Gloria I. Rosado, of 164 Sargeant St.
Ward 4 Councilor Timothy W. Purington also announced he wouldn’t run again. Seeking that seat are Libby Hernandez, of 245 Walnut St., and Jason P. Ferreira, of 13 School St.
Ward 5 Councilor Linda L. Vacon and Ward 6 Councilor Todd A. McGee are unopposed.
Eleven candidates, including all the incumbents, are running for the eight City Council at large seats.
The incumbents are Patricia C. Devine, Joseph M. McGiverin, Kevin A. Jourdain, Peter R. Tallman, Rebecca Lisi, James M. Leahy, Brenna E. Murphy and Aaron M. Vega.
Also running for council at large are John G. Whelihan, a former city councilor who was on the charter review commission, Daniel B. Bresnahan, who was city health director until leaving June 24 for a job with the Springfield Housing Authority, and Yasser Menwer, of 61 Beacon Ave., who was the 2004 Massachusetts Air National Guard Airman of the Year.