Tocco

The most stunning declarations of candidacy yesterday in the North region were those of voter-ousted Smithfield Town Council President Stephen G. Tocco seeking a return to the Town Council and David S. Iwuc declaring round three against Cumberland Mayor Daniel J. McKee.

At a special recall election in November, on a 2,691 to 739 vote, Tocco was booted from the Smithfield Town Council. That vote capped months of controversy in town, including a revolt by town department heads who charged that Tocco and the two other Democrats who made up the council majority had brought pressure on the town manager to fire some of them and replace them with political appointees. That was followed by the resignation of the town manager and other officials and the surfacing of Tocco’s role in municipal corruption cases in Providence and Pawtucket in the 1990s. Tocco received immunity from criminal prosecution for testifying about delivering bribes on behalf of Forte Bros., the company for which he worked.

Last summer, in the wake of Providence Journal stories detailing Tocco’s involvement in those cases, Governor Carcieri removed Tocco as chief of the Capitol Police, a post he had held for nine years. He was reassigned to a non-law-enforcement post.

Tocco, who declared this time as an independent candidate, has repeatedly asserted that the push to recall him was “a vicious, personal attack,” and retaliation for his insisting on “accountability” in town government.

In Cumberland, Iwuc declared for mayor against incumbent McKee, who ousted him in the 2006 election. McKee served as mayor from 2000 to 2004. In 2004, Iwuc surprised then-incumbent McKee by winning the Democratic primary. McKee launched an unsuccessful write-in campaign in the general election that November. In 2006, McKee pushed Iwuc from office, garnering 62 percent of the vote.

In Pawtucket, a flurry of last-minute filings brought about a major shift in the Pawtucket’s political landscape yesterday, with City Councilor-at-large Donald R. Grebien declaring his candidacy for mayor, and former Ward 3 City Councilor Albert J. Vitali Jr. switching his candidacy from the Ward 3 City Council race to City Council at large.

The changes, which came on the third and final day for filing declarations of candidacy, eliminated the possibility of a rematch in Ward 3, where Vitali had originally filed a challenge to Henry S. Kinch Jr., who defeated him in 2006.

They created the possibility of a vitriolic campaign in the mayor’s race, with James E. Doyle, who is seeking reelection to an unprecedented sixth term, clashing with Grebien, who has been on the council for 10 years.

Doyle, 69, and Grebien, 40, have already taken potshots at each other. Grebien, who is running as an independent, called for a 10-percent across-the-board cut in city spending, denouncing the 2009 budget submitted by the Doyle administration as “irresponsible” and “a financial catastrophe waiting to happen.”

Doyle, whose cash-strapped administration submitted a budget that depends on layoffs, furloughs and givebacks by city employees, accused Grebien of grandstanding and said that it would be “totally irresponsible and completely negligent” to pass a budget with the 10-percent cut in spending that Grebien proposed.

Three other candidates filed papers stating they intend to run for mayor. Kenneth W. Bowdish, a chef employed by the PawSox, is running as an independent. Newcomer Rick L. Gibson is running as a Democrat. Douglas Tunstall, a former wrestling midget, is running on the Republican ticket, as he did in 2006.

The deadline for filing declarations of candidacy was 4 p.m. yesterday. Here’s a community-by-community breakdown of potential candidates based on information available from local boards of canvassers and from the secretary of state’s office late yesterday:

BURRILLVILLE

Ten candidates have entered the fray for three seats on the Town Council. Council President Nancy Binns and Margaret Dudley, both Democrats, are poised for reelection campaigns.

Filing for Town Council are: incumbent Nancy F. Binns, a Democrat; Robert Bishop, an independent; Michelle D. Bouchard, an independent; incumbent Margaret L. Dudley, a Democrat; Blake A. Fouracre, a Democrat; Richard T. Frenette, a Democrat; Kevin D. Heitke, a Democrat; Barbara Lavergne, a Democrat; Robert Marshall, an independent; Newton B. Stevens, an independent, and Richard Teter, a Democrat.

Filing to run for the non-partisan School Committee are: incumbent Dorothy A. Cardon; incumbent Joan M. Cote; Aaron J. Coutu; Christine Fasano; David C. Ketcham; incumbent Peter F. Lambert; Debra L. Stockwell; Thomas P. Tatro, and Jacqueline Zahn.

CENTRAL FALLS

There are no municipal elections in Central Falls this year.

CUMBERLAND

Running for mayor are incumbent Democrat Daniel J. McKee and former Democratic mayor David S. Iwuc. Filing to run for a townwide Town Council seat are: James T. Higgins, an incumbent Democrat; Charles D. Wilk, a Democrat; Bruce A. Lemois, an incumbent Democrat and James K. McLaughlin, a Democrat.

Running for the District 1 Town Council seat are: Antonio J. Alburquerque, the incumbent Democrat; Robert John Dias, a Democrat; and Thomas Paul Tougas, a Democrat.

Seeking the District 2 Town Council seat is E. Craig Dwyer, a Democrat.

Filing for the District 3 Town Council seat are: Kelley Nickson-Morris, the incumbent Democrat; Paul Simoes, a Democrat; and James C. Hartke, a Democrat.

Running for the District 4 Town Council seat is Jason B. Kirkpatrick, the incumbent Democrat.

Seeking the District 5 Town Council seat are: Mia A. Ackerman, the incumbent Democrat; Christine M. Avella, a Republican; Theodore R. Vecchio Jr., a Democrat; and Mark G. Dosdourian, a Republican.

Seeking an at-large non-partisan School Committee seat are: Paul DiModica; incumbent Robert C. Thibodeau; incumbent Lisa A. Beaulieu, and Ryan William Pearson.

Running for the District 1 non-partisan School Committee seat are: incumbent Frederic C. Crowley; Rosa Quinonez Crowley; and Kelly A. Connerton.

Filing to run for the District 2 non-partisan School Committee seat are: incumbent Wayne David Wagner, and Daniel L. Pedro.

Running for the District 3 non-partisan School Committee seat are: John V. Gibbons, incumbent Donald J. Costa, and Amanda L. Clarke.

Seeking the District 4 non-partisan School Committee seat are: Brian J. Kelly and Thomas F. LeTourneau.

Running for the District 5 non-partisan School Committee seat is incumbent Earl T. Wood.

FOSTER

Filing for Town Council are: Democrats Joseph D. Cardillo, Roger L. Hawes, incumbent John L. Lewis, incumbent Colette J. Matarese, incumbent Lynne S. Rider, Republican Gordon Rogers, and independent Jonathon T. Vorro.

Filing to run for the non-partisan School Committee are: Cynthia Bernard, incumbent Ronald Cervasio, and incumbent Dennis R. Cretien.

Filing to run for town clerk is Tina W. Freeman, the incumbent Democrat.

Filing to run for town sergeant are: Michael Coggeshall, the Democratic incumbent, and Republican Alan C. Pittman.

Filing for moderator is Republican Franklin G. Arnold.

Filing for District 1 clerk is Republican Georgianna Knox.

Filing for District 2 clerk is Republican Miriam A. Cunniff

GLOCESTER

Filing for Town Council are: Patrick J. Carroll, a Democrat; Derek J. Hallam, a Democrat; Michael C. Joyce, an incumbent Democrat; William E. Reichert, an incumbent Democrat; Edward C. Burlingame, a Republican; John Patrick Devine, a Republican; George O. Steere Jr., a Republican; Walter M.O. Steere III, a Republican; Kevin P. Walsh, a Republican; Steven F. Winsor, a Democrat, and Vincent N. Iannuzzi Jr., a Democrat.

No filings for School Committee were available from the Board of Canvassers or from the secretary of state late yesterday.

Filing to run for town moderator are: Raymond W. Fogarty, the incumbent Democrat; Henry P. Haczynski, a Republican, and Joan M. Walsh, a Republican.

Seeking the town clerk post is incumbent Republican Jean M. Fecteau.

Filing to run for director of human services are: Virginia M. Peters, the incumbent Democrat, and Judith A. Branch, a Republican.

JOHNSTON

The filings portend a primary race in every Town Council district, including a three-way contest in District 1.

In District 4, the council’s president, Robert V. Russo, who ran unopposed in the last election, faces a primary challenge from Traci A. Rossi, a local mother who has contested various school system policies in hearings before the state education commissioner.

Councilmen Joseph A. Wells and Gabriel DeFeo each face rematches with the councilmen they unseated in the 2006 primary.

Meanwhile, the man challenging Democratic Mayor Joseph M. Polisena, Raymond Acciardo, filed as an independent, laying the groundwork for a long contest.

Filing for the District 1 Town Council seat are: incumbent Gabriel N. DeFeo, a Democrat; William F. Santilli, a Democrat, and Melanie Turner, a Democrat.

Seeking the District 2 Town Council post are: Keith M. Hartley, a Democrat; incumbent Ernest F. Pitochelli, an independent, and Debra A. Palermo, a Democrat.

Running for the District 3 Town Council seat are: John DiMaio; a Democrat; Peter A. Filippi III, a Republican, and incumbent Joseph A. Wells, a Democrat;

Seeking the District 4 Town Council seat are: incumbent Robert V. Russo, the Democrat council president, and Traci A. Rossi, a Democrat.

Filing for the District 5 Town Council seat are: incumbent Democrat Stephanie P. Manzi and Lorraine M. Natale, a Democrat.

Filing to run for the District 1 School Committee seat is incumbent Democrat Robert A. LaFazia.

Seeking the District 4 School Committee post are: incumbent Democrat Sandra Comella-Gabaree and Joseph W. Rotella, a Democrat.

LINCOLN

Four people announced their interest in challenging Republican Town Administrator T. Joseph Almond. Three Democrats, Louis E. Azar, John J. Cullen and John Douglas Barr II, declared. Independent James B. Spooner also filed a declaration.

On the five-member Town Council, no one filed to challenge incumbent District 2 Democratic Councilman John W. Flynn, District 4 Democratic Councilman James R. Jahnz or District 5 independent Councilman Ronald A. McKenna. So if those three complete their petitions by July 11, they will be unopposed on the November ballot.

The open seat in District 1 drew independent Arthur S. Russo and Democrat Timothy McMahon. In District 3, incumbent independent Keith E. Macksoud declared, as did Democrat Joseph A. Paiva.

On the School Committee, incumbent Julie M. Zito, Chairwoman Mary Anne Roll and Deborah A. Ambeault filed declarations to run for the two open at-large committee seats.

In District 2, committee member John C. Zangari declared, as did Tracey Ann Cavanaugh. In District 4, incumbent Elizabeth Black Robson was the only candidate to declare.

NORTH SMITHFIELD

Besides incumbent Town Administrator Robert B. Lowe, Conservation Commission Chairman Donald Gagnon, Paulette D. Hamilton and Ernest H. Alter took out petitions to run for town administrator.

All elected offices in town are nonpartisan.

For the five-member Town Council, President Linda Thibault didn’t file a declaration and so she won’t be running for reelection. But her four fellow council members, Patrick Keeley, Paul M. Leclerc, Paul J. Zwolenski and David A. Lovett, took out petitions.

They were joined by seven others: Caroly Shumway, Stephen Vowels, Frank Varrecchione, H. Anthony Deller, Leo O. Defond, Lucien Benoit and Stephen A. Biron.

On the School Committee, with three seats up for grabs, Chairman Robert E. Lafleur and fellow incumbents Christine A. Bonas and Jean B. Meo declared, as did Frances R. Johannis

PAWTUCKET

In Pawtucket, former Ward 3 City Councilor Albert J. Vitali Jr. is among seven candidates for council at-large. Besides Vitali, declarations were filed by Lorenzo C. Tetreault, a retired schoolteacher who is chairman of the Democratic City Committee; School Committee member John S. Baxter Jr., former School Committee member Raymond J. Spooner Jr., political newcomers Michael W. Newman and Joel M. Tirrell, and longtime council-at-large member Thomas E. Hodge.

Hodge, Spooner, Baxter, Tetreault and Vitali are running as Democrats. Newman is running as an independent and Tirrell is running as a Republican.

In addition to the council at-large race, there are contests for the Ward 5 and Ward 6 City Council seats. In Ward 5, Jean Philippe Barros, running as an independent, is challenging City Council President Mary E. Bray, a Democrat. In Ward 6, Paul Audette and George Patrick Hovarth are challenging the one-term incumbent, Democrat James F. Chadwick Jr. Audette is running as a Democrat. Hovarth is running as an independent.

The already-crowded School Committee race became a bit more crowded, with incumbents James T. Chellel Jr. and Amy Breault Zolt filing papers indicating they were seeking reelection, raising to 11 the number of candidates for the seven-member board. Declarations of candidacy had previously been filed by incumbents Joanne M. Bonollo, Nicole Ann Nordquist and David A Coughlin Jr., as well as first-time candidates Lori-Ann Gagne, Joseph M. Lima, Joseph C. Knight, Raymond William Noonan, Carlos E. Tobon and Matthew E. Gunnip.

SCITUATE

Filing for Scituate Town Council were: Robert R. Budway, incumbent; Charles A. Collins Jr., incumbent; Dwight T. Farrar, incumbent; Brenda L. Frederickson; John F. Winfield Jr., incumbent; David A. D’Agostino, incumbent, and David L. Hanna Jr., all Republicans, and Richard J. Kells; Donald S. Campbell; Laura E. McGuire; Kirk A. Rerick; Pamela Carosi; Sara E. Hutchings; and John C. Tessitore, all Democrats.

Filing for School Committee were: Ernest P. Marcure and Marylou Umbriano, both Republican incumbents; and Janine E. Grigelevich and Carol S. Levitt, Democrats.

Filing for town treasurer were: Theodore J. Przybyla, the incumbent Republican, and Marc E. Miller, a Democrat.

Filing for town sergeant were: William J. Lawton, a Republican and Peter M. Garofalo, a Democrat.

Filing for town moderator were: Michael A. St. Pierre, a Democrat, David M. Dagostino, a Republican.

Filing for moderator were: Neal J. Drobnis, Cheri C. Marsocci, Karen A. Marcello, Kara M. Fay and Patricia M. Aubee, all Democrats; and Charlotte Archambault, Robert E. Watson Jr., John Marchant Jr., Bernadette M. Quindazzi and Robert Richard Gardner, all Republicans.

Filing for town clerk was Margaret M. Long, an incumbent Democrat.

Filing for director of public welfare were: Leo P. Thompson Jr., a Republican, and Allison J. Nugent, a Democrat.

SMITHFIELD

Filing for Town Council were; Maxine A. Cavanagh; Michael J. Coutu; Michael J. Flynn, incumbent; Ronald F. Manni, incumbent; and Richard A. Poirier, all Republicans; and Bernard A. Hawkins, incumbent; Stephen R. Archambault, incumbent; Richard A. DiIoria Jr.; David M. Fanning, and S. Jean Cerroni, incumbent, all Democrats. Also filing for the council were independents Stephen G. Tocco; A. Robert LaBrie Sr.; Robert J. Esposito, and Ernest V. Begin.

Filing for School Committee were Alberto J. LaGreca Jr.; Sean J. Clough; and Michael Tartaglia, all Republicans, and Lauraine A. Ouellette and Joan J. LaFauci, both Democrats and incumbents.

WOONSOCKET

There are no municipal elections in Woonsocket this year.

Staff writers John Castellucci, John Hill, Philip Marcelo, Thomas J. Morgan, and Mark Reynolds contributed to this report.