Worcester Preliminary Election Results 2023

WORCESTER -The polls are now closed in In the contested races, the unofficial results are in.

In District One, Jenny Pacillo and Dave Peterson are moving on. Pacillo had a strong vote total with 56% of the vote. Peterson came in a distant second with 30% but was severely underfunded in comparison to Pacillo, one of the leading fundraisers this cycle.

In District Two Candy Mero-Carlson and Rob Bilotta are moving on. Newcomer Bilotta ran a strong, upbeat campaign and surprised with a strong showing against long-term incumbent Mero-Carlson. Former D2 Councilor Palmieri still pulled almost 20% of the vote, setting up a very competitive race in November.

In District Four Luis Ojeda and Katia Norford came out of a diverse group of five candidates. The other 3 candidates pulled close to 40% of the vote, with a total vote number that came close to long-term D4 Councilor Sarai Rivera’s vote total for the 2021 cycle where she ran unopposed.

In District 5 Etel Haxhiaj and Jose Rivera are moving on. This race has been marked by the most visible of campaigning and disagreements between candidates. Both candidates pulled over 1,100 voters, with incumbent Haxhiaj accumulating a strong 1600+ total in a preliminary. Over 3,000 votes were cast in this district preliminary.

In School District E, Nelly Medina and Kathy Roy were neck and neck to advance in the lone contested School Committee preliminary. John Patrick Reed pulled close to 25% of the vote, but is not moving on.