New Bedford’s Mayor Mitchell Has No Competition [OPINION]

Mayor Jon Mitchell has announced he is running for re-election and as of now, he has no serious competition. The deadline is August 16 for all candidates.

New Bedford's local political scene is odd this year. The city voters changed the mayor's term from two years to four years in 2017. The coalition that put the expanded term on the ballot believed the four-year term would attract more and better-qualified candidates to run for mayor.

The first election for the four-year term of mayor has attracted only a handful of candidates. The majority of the folks running for mayor this year have never been elected to office. Most are running for the first time in their life. John Oliviera, a member of the elected city School Committee, is the only candidate who has been elected by the people of New Bedford. He is prone to vulgar and threatening outbursts during public meetings and will not be the next mayor.

There are numerous potential candidates talking to potential supporters about potentially running for mayor this year. As they talk, the clock continues to tick. The days continue to pass as the deadline draws closer and closer.

Everyone who wants to run for mayor thinks they can beat Mayor Mitchell. They aren't worried about Mitchell, they say, but they are worried about the other potential challengers who might jump in the race to take on the incumbent mayor.

Meanwhile, Mayor Jon Mitchell has a huge campaign war chest, a strong organization of supporters led by his experienced campaign manager Paula Montgomery, and a list of accomplishments to run on.

Decisiveness crushes indecision every time they clash.

Chris McCarthy is the host of The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact him at chris.mccarthy@townsquaremedia.com and follow him on Twitter @Chris_topher_Mc. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.