Moutsoulas and Serino Move on to General Election in Ward 3 Race

One former city councilor will have a shot to reclaim his seat while another will not, following Tuesday's primary race in Ward 3.

Jim Moutsoulas was the top vote-getter for the day with 305, followed by Tom Serino with 238 and Bill Toomey trailing in third with 168.

Moutsoulas, 68, was the Ward 3 Councilor for 12 years in the 1980s and 1990s while Toomey, 81, served two terms in Ward 3 before 22 years as an at-large councilor.

This is the 64-year-old Serino's second run for the seat. He finished second in a primary two years ago and lost in the general election to sitting councilor Rico Mello, who is not running for re-election.

Overall turnout on Tuesday was 14 percent, slightly higher than predicted, although the turnout was 17 percent for the Ward 3 primary in 2011. According to the City Clerk's office, 711 of 4,947 registered voters hit the polls Tuesday.

"We had a fantastic [campaign] crew working," Moutsoulas said Tuesday night. "I give all credit to them." And, of course, to the voters, he added.

"I'm just going to continue working the way I have been," he said.

Moutsoulas didn't point to any specific issues he planned to address in the two months until the general election, but said he'll stay focused  and stick to his plan.

In general, all three candidates made campaign points about traffic throughout the ward, regular water main breaks in the area of Gardner Street, working to help revitalize the downtown and issues revolving around the Pulaski Street industrial park.

Serino stopped by City Hall for a copy of the results and spoke to reporters there.

He said he felt good about the results and there's a "little battle coming up now." "I just went out and introduced myself," he said of his campaign strategy.

Compared to two years ago? "We were a little more aggressive this time. I just went out and banged on a lot more doors," he said.

Serino said that's essentially his plan, leading up to the general election, as well focusing on some neighborhoods where his opponents fared better.

His approach is to be a new voice with new ideas, and responsive to the people of Ward 3, he said. He likewise wasn't too specific about issues, although he noted the aforementioned topics, saying old industrial sites and other parts of Walnut Street need guided redevelopment. He'd also like to see that RiverWalk plan finally come back to life.

Serino did capture more votes this time (238) than he did in 2011 (183).

As for Toomey, this is it. "You won't see my name on a ballot again," he told Peabody Patch.

Toomey has run for mayor, state representative and most recently the City Council in 2007 since 1999, all of those bids unsuccessful, but that never stopped him from being active in city politics and neighborhood issues. Consequently, he'd often appear before the council or at city meetings involving issues in the ward, while also a board member at the Torigian Center.

He said, however, he won't be down at City Hall anymore for meetings. "I'll find some more important things to do," he said.

Toomey said he was obviously "very disappointed" at the results. He attributed that to his elderly base not showing up to vote Tuesday. He said neither of his two opponents had the same expertise and knowledge from more than 30 years of activism in the ward, but apparently that wasn't voters were looking for.