Marlborough Councilor Laura Wagner Bows Out Of 2023 Election

MARLBOROUGH, MA — Marlborough Ward 1 Councilor Laura Wagner will not seek reelection in 2023 due to a family committment, the two-term councilor announced her constituent newsletter this week.

Wagner said she will move to North Attleboro at the end of the year to help care for her grandchildren. To be an elected official in Marlborough, candidates must live in the city.

"I've enjoyed the honor of serving our ward for the past two terms, but I need to move this year. I have the joy of caring for my beautiful granddaughter every day and she has a little sister on the way," Wagner said.

Wagner won the Ward 1 seat in 2019 in a race against Bhaskar Purimetla. She won a second term in 2021 in an uncontested race.

During the 2021 election, Wagner said was proud of accomplishments like being involved in the city's pandemic response, getting a stop sign installed at the corner of Hemingway and Wilson streets and opposing the Walcott Heritage Farm project. The developers of that project sued Marlborough in Land Court over the denial of a special permit, leading to a settlement paving the way for the 140-unit project to move ahead.

Marlborough's 2023 election season got underway on May 8 when candidates were allowed to start pulling papers to run for office. So far, recreation commissioner Mark Vital, a Marlborough High and the Advanced Math and Science Academy employee, is the only candidate who has pulled papers to run for the Ward 1 seat. Candidates have until Aug. 18 to enter the race.