'Onto November 2nd!': Lungo-Koehn, Falco Set For Mayor's Race

MEDFORD, MA — City Councilor John Falco will challenge Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn for City Hall in November.

Medford voters headed to the polls Tuesday to whittle down the field of candidates in the mayoral and school committee races.

Nearly half of voters cast a ballot for Lungo-Koehn, followed by Falco with close to 35 percent of the vote. First-time candidate John Petrella received 17 percent of the vote.

Lungo-Koehn released the following statement Tuesday night:

"I am grateful for the strong vote of confidence from the people of Medford in today’s preliminary election. In every corner of the City, people from all different backgrounds responded to our positive message of progress and possibilities for our entire community.

It's a privilege to be able to do the job that I love, working with and for the residents of Medford.I am humbled by your support, but tonight is just the first step, there is so much more we have to do and I need your help to make this City a better place for all of us. I am up for this challenge, and I am excited to get right back to work with all of you.

The hard work has just begun. But together, we will keep moving Medford forward.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Now, onto November 2nd!"

Falco said Tuesday he was "honored" to be moving on in the mayor's race, thanking those who voted in the preliminary. He added that he believes Medford has "vast" untapped potential and needs new leadership at City Hall.

"We need an inclusive, professional and decisive leader. As we prepare to emerge from the pandemic, our city must be ready to face complex issues," Falco said. "My experience as a city councilor, school committee member, community leader, as well as my professional managerial experience has prepared me to do this job on day one. I’m ready to get to work."

There were 14 candidates for school committee, including the six incumbents, on the ballot Tuesday. The bottom two, Darlene Mattuchio and Kerry Laidlaw, were eliminated from the November ballot.

About 20 percent of registered voters in Medford cast a ballot in the preliminary, according to the unofficial results.

See the unofficial results below.

Results

Mayor:

• Breanna Lungo-Koehn, candidate for re-nomination - 3,968; 47.27 percent
• John Falco Jr., city councilor - 2,896; 34.5 percent
• John Petrella - 1,431; 17.05 percent

School Committee:

• Mea Quinn Mustone, candidate for re-nomination - 4,118; 8.18 percent
• Jenny Graham, candidate for re-nomination - 3,736; 7.42 percent
• Paul Ruseau, candidate for re-nomination - 3,592; 7.13 percent
• Melanie McLaughlin, candidate for re-nomination - 3,580; 7.11 percent
• Sharon Hays - 3,030; 6.02 percent
• Andrew Milne - 2,727; 5.41 percent
• Kathy Kreatz, candidate for re-nomination - 2,653; 5.27 percent
• Paulette van der Kloot, candidate for re-nomination - 2,550; 5.06 percent
• Robert Emmett Skerry Jr., former school committee - 2,243; 4.45 percent
• Cheryl Rodriguez - 2,124; 4.22 percent
• Colin Walsh - 2,033; 4.04 percent
• William Giglio - 1,962; 3.9 percent
• Darlene Mattuchio - 1,683; 3.34 percent
• Kerry Laidlaw - 1,416; 2.81 percent

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