Waltham Preliminary Election Results: McCarthy, LeBlanc Advance

WALTHAM, MA — The three candidates who entered Tuesday with an eye toward being the next mayor of Waltham are now down to two: Mayor Jeannette McCarthy and Councilor Diane LeBlanc will face off on the November ballot after beating Melissa Downes in the preliminary mayoral election.

Voters from Wards 1, 2 and 9 on Tuesday also winnowed the field of City Council candidates from three to two.

The city released the unofficial preliminary election results just before 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Of the 34,232 registered voters, 6,429 - or roughly 19 percent - cast ballots to decide who will be on the November ballot. By way of context: There are more than 62,000 people living in Waltham.

"We are excited to be moving forward to the general election," LeBlanc told Patch. "Grateful to the people of Waltham for joining me in a conversation about the important issues."

Still, if the preliminary was any indicator, she may have her work cut out for her.

McCarthy took 3,977 votes to LeBlanc's 2,050. Downes only pulled in 344.

McCarthy is finishing out her 16th year as mayor. If she wins the Nov. 5 election, she'll be the longest-serving mayor in recent memory. Earlier this year, she indicated she planned to run after sending a memo last year indicating that she would not. LeBlanc is campaigning on bringing change to the city in the face of that.

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In Ward 1, Anthony LeFauci took the lead at 556 votes with Lizzie Gelles squeaking in just slightly ahead of her competitor, former mayor David F. Gately.

In Ward 2, Bill Hanley scored a hearty 481 votes while Caren Dunn came in with 311. That meant Heather May with 152 votes was knocked out of the race.

"This has been one of the great adventures of my life," May told Patch. "I want to thank all of my supporters, we ran an excellent campaign and stayed focused on our issues and our promise to listen to all of the voices in Ward 2! I wish the other candidates the very best of luck in November."

In Ward 9, incumbent Robert Logan will stay in the race with his 229 votes. Newcomer Jonathan Paz, who took 179 votes, will be on the ballot with him. Donald Desroches, who received 132 votes, was knocked off the ballot.

"I was very pleased to have topped the ticket," Logan told Patch. "And will continue to work to earn the support of the residents of Ward 9."

Tuesday's election is nonpartisan.

Waltham preliminary election: Unofficial city results Sept. 17, 2019:

Waltham candidate profiles:

• Melissa Downes - Mayor
• Jeannette McCarthy - Mayor
• Diane LeBlanc - Mayor
• Heather May - 2 City Councilor
• Robert Logan - Ward 9 Councilor

More Waltham election coverage:

• Waltham Elections 2019: Here's Who Is Running
• Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy Announces She Will Run
• Possible Challenge To McCarthy's Run For Waltham Mayor
• Councilor Diane LeBlanc Hints At Run For Mayor
• Waltham Councilor Diane LeBlanc Announces She Will Run
• Waltham Election Calendar: What To Know About Election Season
• Column: Why I'm Running For City Waltham City Councilor At Large
• Don Desrochers Launches Campaign for City Council Seat

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).