Politics & Government

Retired Braintree Police Chief Running for Councilor-at-Large

Monday was the first day for candidates to pull nominating paperwork for the Braintree election in November.

Paul Frazier, who served as Braintree's Police Chief for nearly 20 years before his retirement last summer, has taken out nomination papers to run for Councilor-at-Large this fall.

Frazier was among 11 Braintree residents who pulled paperwork from the Town Clerk's office Monday, the first day the documents for gathering signatures were made available. 

The mix of candidates who began their campaigns formally Monday include long-time incumbents and fresh faces, primarily for council positions. Many others are sure to pick up paperwork in the coming weeks, filling out what looks to be a lively field, made particularly competitive by the upcoming retirement of Councilor-at-Large Leland Dingee.

Including Frazier, who did not respond to a message Monday afternoon, there are five candidates so far vying for the three Councilor-at-Large seats. There are also three candidates so far for the District 5 seat. Incumbent Ronald DeNapoli has yet to pull papers.

Candidates for Town Council, School Committee and other posts will work to obtain between 50 and 150 signatures between now and Sept. 17. There are 20 town offices on the ballot Nov. 5. 

In addition to Frazier, the following candidates pulled papers Monday:

Thomas M. Bowes, Councilor District 3 – Incumbent councilor Bowes has served East Braintree for a number of years. He also coached baseball for several years and has served as an umpire with the Braintree National Youth League. He works in the insurance industry.

Sean E. Powers, Councilor-at-Large – Also an incumbent, Powers is a native of Braintree and works as a government communications consultant. Powers topped the field in 2011.

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Michael J. Owens, Councilor District 5 – A 23-year-old Braintree High graduate going into his senior year at UMass Boston studying political science. Owens has interned at Quincy District Court, then-U.S. Sen. John Kerry’s office and the community affairs division of Gov. Deval Patrick’s office.

Nick DiMartino, Councilor District 5 – DiMartino, an account manager for heavy equipment company Milton CAT and longtime Braintree youth baseball, soccer and hockey volunteer, is the father of two sons and new to the Braintree political scene.

Find out what's happening in Braintreewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Charles C. Kokoros, Councilor District 1 – Kokoros is president of the council and owner of Braintree Cleaners. He has served for many years in local government and as a councilor in District 1 since being elected in 2007 when the form of government changed.

Shannon L. Hume, Councilor-at-Large – Hume has spent six years on the School Committee, including the last year-and-a-half as chair. She has a bachelor's degree in business management from the University of Massachusetts Boston and worked in the accounting field for 12 years starting in 1988.

David M. Ringius, Jr., School Committee – Ringius is the vice-chair of the committee and has served on it since being elected in 2007. He is an assistant district attorney with the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office, has volunteered with local youth sports teams and is a martial arts instructor.

William. P. Sweeney, II, Councilor District 5 – A former executive secretary in Braintree who left office in 1999 over a contract dispute, Sweeney ran two years ago against District 5 incumbent Ronald DeNapoli and newcomer Marybeth Canwell.

John A. Carvello, Councilor-at-Large – Carvello volunteers with Braintree National Youth Baseball.

Charles B. Ryan, Councilor-at-Large – Ryan is an incumbent in this position, was first elected to the council in 2007 and previously served as president. He manages wastewater operations for the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and has two sons. Ryan attended the University of Massachusetts and local government seminars at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

More information on the election calendar and nominating process can be found in this previous story on Braintree Patch.


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