Woburn Election: Concannon Wins Mayoral Prelim, Will Face Galvin

WOBURN, MA — Woburn City Council President Mike Concannon on Tuesday took an important first step in his bid to become the city's mayor with a victory over seven-term incumbent Scott Galvin and upstart 19-year-old Omar Mohuddin in the municipal preliminary election for mayor.

According to unofficial results released by the Woburn City Clerk, Concannon received 2,525 votes and Galvin was second with 1,759 votes, meaning the two will square off in the general election on Nov. 7. Mohuddin, a Woburn Memorial High School graduate and sophomore at Northeastern, received 993 votes.

A total of 5,315 votes were cast, according to the city clerk.

In a statement to Patch, Concannon, who has served as a councilor at large on the Woburn City Council for a decade and the president for two years, said he was "gratified by the results" of the preliminary election.

"I would like to thank the voters of Woburn for their strong support," Concannon said. "I would also like to thank my family and my campaign team for all of their hard work. I extend my sincere appreciation to Scott Galvin and Omar Mohuddin and their supporters for their commitment to our city. I plan to spend the next nine weeks working hard to earn the votes to become Woburn's next mayor."

Concannon has touted his "track record of solid and successful leadership" and said he offers a "clear alternative to the current management style in the mayor's office."

"Running for mayor, I think I can improve the city," Concannon said at the Woburn Mayoral Forum late last month. "Woburn is a special place and I think we can do better and I think I can help."

Concannon continued: "The current (management style in the mayor's office) has brought us to a point where folks who deliver critical services don't feel respected, valued, supported, and I don't believe our city's needs are being consistently met.

"You can expect low taxes and high city services, but we can do it while restoring a positive, professional, productive working environment in the city."

Galvin, who was elected to the first of his seven two-year terms in 2009, has been highlighting his experience and the "great progress" the city has made "in terms of infrastructure and finances" during his time in charge.

The mayor said there still is work to be done, and that he remains the most qualified person for the job.

"I'm running for re-election because there still is plenty of important, hard work ahead of us, our city needs proven and experienced leadership now more than ever," Galvin said at the Woburn Mayoral Forum.

Galvin continued: "Over the years, I have consistently demonstrated careful and thoughtful leadership for all, making tough decisions that benefit all of our stakeholders, from our children to our seniors who live on fixed incomes, from our homeowners and taxpayers to our municipal workforce and retirees and our businesses community. All while striking a balance that allows everyone to live their best lives in our city."

Since announcing his intention to run late last year, Mohuddin has garnered a lot of attention in Woburn and beyond due to his age. The former WMHS class president was bidding to become the youngest mayor in Massachusetts.

Mohuddin has been visible in Woburn in recent months, making appearances in Woburn Public Schools, organizing volunteering events and knocking on doors.

During the Mayoral Forum, Mohuddin explained how those interactions with local citizens had helped him develop his platform.

"Over the last six months, I've been knocking on over 7,000 doors and talking to thousands of citizens, firefighters, police, shareholders, teachers, people who have a stake in what happens," Mohuddin said. "And I've been hearing that they don't feel listened to, respected, heard, and I'm here to deliver on that promise (of making sure they are heard)."

Despite the results, the Woburn Teachers Association on Tuesday celebrated Mohuddin on social media.

"We would also like to thank Omar Mohuddin," the group wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "There is no doubt that Omar ran an impressive campaign and became a role model for the youth of Woburn. Omar has made a huge impact on our city and we hope he remains a positive force for change in this city for years to come."