Markey Wins New Bedford School Committee Seat After Tumultuous Day

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — In the latest surprising twist, former Ward 1 City Councilor Brad Markey is the newest member of the New Bedford School Committee.

Markey edged out Marcus Coward 9-8 to win the seat that became vacant when longtime committee member Bruce Oliveira passed away back in November.

Markey was still technically in the running entering Wednesday night’s joint convention of the New Bedford City Council and the New Bedford School Committee, despite not being part of the 8-8 tie to end the previous convention on January 7. That had been deadlocked between Coward and former Ward 3 City Councilor Henry Bousquet, with Ward 5 Councilor Joe Lopes absent from that meeting.

Bousquet Submits Letter Bowing Out of Contention

However, in a surprise move, Bousquet submitted a letter to the convention prior to the meeting in which he withdrew his name from consideration. This came after a group supporting Coward for the position had organized protests of Bousquet’s potential appointment because of his vocal support for President Donald Trump and his agenda.

Those who supported Bousquet’s nomination called into question what political groups may be behind Coward’s decision to seek the seat. Coward was a candidate in November’s election for three other school committee seats, and had missed out by 128 votes.

Bousquet’s letter said that he had given “considerable thought” to all that had transpired since the initial January 7 vote, and that he believes the process should have been about the best possible candidate.

“I also believe this vote should have been about what is best for the school department and those it serves,” he wrote. “The process was not meant to be about granting participation trophies, someone’s political affiliation, or to give someone an excuse to defame anyone, especially any well-meaning community member attempting to participate in the political process.”

Mayor Mitchell Had Switched Support From Bousquet to Coward

Bousquet’s letter was not the only shocker of the day. Hours earlier, New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell – who had initially supported Markey for the nomination in the first convention, but later switched his vote to Bousquet once it was clear Markey didn’t have enough support – announced on WBSM that he was once again switching his vote from Bousquet to Coward, citing conversations with and research into both candidates, and a Facebook post from Bousquet that had a fundamental disagreement with Mitchell’s position on vocational school admissions.

READ MORE: Mitchell Flips Vote From Bousquet to Coward Hours Before Meeting

With Markey once again in contention Wednesday night, Mitchell switched his support again back to his original pick.

How the Votes Went

Wednesday night’s meeting, which took about 15 minutes, had the full complement of city councilors and school committee members. In addition to Markey and Coward, Lee Blake was in still in contention when the roll call vote was taken.

City Councilors voting for Markey included Councilors at Large Ian Abreu and Naomi Carney, along with Ward 1 Councilor Leo Choquette (who beat Markey for that seat in 2023), Ward 5 Councilor Joe Lopes, Ward 3 Councilor Shawn Oliver, Ward 2 Councilor Scott Pemberton, and Ward 6 Councilor Ryan Pereira. School Committee member Chris Cotter and Chair Ex Officio Mayor Mitchell both voted for Markey as well.

Coward received votes from Councilors at Large Shane Burgo, Brian Gomes and James Roy, as well as Ward 4 Councilor Derek Baptiste. School Committee members Melissa Costa, Jack Livramento, Von Marie Moniz and Rick Porter. In November’s election, Costa had won re-election and Moniz and Porter won seats ahead of Coward.

Markey will finish out the remainder of Oliveira's term, which runs through the end of 2027.

Some in the Crowd Take Exception to Markey's Win

Markey was sworn in immediately following the vote, as members of the crowd chanted “Bulls–t” and shouted him down as he took the oath of office. The chants were heard clearly on the City's video stream. Following his swearing in, Councilor Gomes asked to address the body following the unruliness, saying he was “unhappy with the process” and the division it brought about, including what both Bousquet and Coward had to endure.

“If Bruce was looking down on us right now, he’d be saying this wasn’t supposed to happen like this,” Gomes said.