New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell Announces Re-election Bid

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell announced Thursday afternoon that he will seek re-election in November.

In a video posted on Twitter, Mitchell said the city has grown under his leadership and touted accomplishments such an increased graduation rate and redevelopment of the waterfront.

“Over the years, together, we have accomplished a lot,” Mitchell said. “There are more kids graduating in high school, our neighborhoods are more safe, more people have good jobs than they did 10 years ago and our finances are more secure.”

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Mitchell said if he is re-elected, he would focus on expanding what he called the “foundation” that the city built over the past 11 years under his leadership.

Mitchell, a Democrat, was first elected in 2011 after former mayor Scott Lang decided to not seek another term in office.

He defeated state Rep. Antonio Cabral (D-New Bedford) by a margin of 837 votes.

Mitchell ran for re-election in several more times.

Mitchell is also the first mayor in the city’s history to be elected for a four-year term in 2019 after residents voted in 2017 to switch from a two-year to a four-year term.

As mayor, Mitchell has focused on revitalizing New Bedford’s role in the offshore wind industry.

New Bedford’s pier was chosen to be the terminal for a staging port to build pieces for wind turbines of Vineyard Wind, the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the United States.

Mitchell has also focused on housing policy and released a housing plan in March 2023. The plan calls for building more multi-family housing in New Bedford and surrounding areas to increase housing stock.

If re-elected, Mitchell would serve a sixth term as mayor from 2024 to 2028.

Mitchell is expected to face off against Nathan Almeida, Evan Ziedenburg, Ryan Duarte, Michael Janson, Xavier Cardona and Jesse Soares in the preliminary election scheduled for Oct. 3.

The two candidates with the first and second most votes will proceed to the general election on Nov. 7.