City Council President Marc Laredo, a candidate for mayor in next year’s local election, praised Mayor Ruthanne Fuller for her service to Newton after she announced on Tuesday that she would not seek reelection to a third term.
“All residents of Newton owe Mayor Fuller a debt of gratitude for her many years of hard work on behalf of our city,” Laredo said in a statement after Fuller’s announcement. “She leaves a strong legacy of accomplishment, and I look forward to working with her during the remainder of her term in office.”
Fuller’s decision makes Laredo the only candidate for mayor so far.
And Laredo has not been wasting any time. An early cash grab is one benefit to starting a campaign early, as Laredo has.
In his December email update to supporters on Wednesday, he announced that he had raised more than $75,000 since the start of May, from more than 220 people.
In fact, campaign finance reports show Laredo had his best fundraising month in May, four months before he even announced his candidacy. He collected more than $19,500 that month, with a boost of more than a dozen $1,000 donations.
June was good to Laredo, too. He raised almost $17,000 that month.
Next year’s local election season is shaping up to be a busy one. City Councilor Bill Humphrey is not running for reelection, so Ward 5 will need a ward councilor. City Councilor Alison Leary has said she may not be running (she has not made anything official), so Ward 1 may need a councilor-at-large.
With Amy Davenport having moved out of Newton, Ward 7 needs a School Committee representative. So does Ward 3, with Anping Shen reaching his term limit. Local biotech executive Jason Bhardwaj has thrown his hat into the ring for the Ward 3 seat.