Nguyen-DiFlorio, Pietrantonio-Lattanzi key matchups
By JOSH RESNEK
Two key ward races are attracting a great deal of political speculation among the movers and shakers in the tightly knit political community here.
Vivien Nguyen’s race against longtime Councilor Rosa DiFlorio is a case in point.
Nguyen came within a close-up gunshot of defeating DiFlorio the last time around which was two years ago.
Nguyen, the youngest candidate in politics in the city two years ago, remains the youngest candidate in the upcoming contest.
She is 21 and a student in her last year at Babson College.
She is leaving nothing for granted in this upcoming election, she told the Leader Herald.
DiFlorio isn’t exactly giving up, either.
In what is believed to be a last hurrah race for DiFlorio, she is relying on the mayor’s support to gain re-election.
Her support for the mayor is her main campaign pledge to those inclined to vote for her.
Nguyen is running independently of the mayor.
She claims she has identified her vote and is going after that vote vigorously.
She does not speak of winning or losing.
She points to campaigning hard and smart and hopes to beat DiFlorio.
Di Florio for her part has been employing the mayor’s tactics to gain an edge.
Nguyen claims many of her signs have been ripped down or those who display them have been approached and told to take them down by supporters of the mayor and his candidate DiFlorio.
About 25 votes separated Nguyen and DiFlorio two years ago.
It appears that race remains tight.
Another race to watch closely and with some fascination is Ross Pietrantonio facing Al Lattanzi.
This is another incidence of a much younger, bolder, independent candidate facing a much older candidate beholden to the mayor.
Lattanzi is hoping for the mayor’s support to push him into victory over Pietrantonio.
The mayor’s support did not help Lattanzi two years ago when he was drubbed by Mike McLaughlin.
When the results came in, the mayor blamed the loss on Lattanzi saying: “He wasn’t a good candidate.”
Pietrantonio was recently set upon by two of the mayor’s lackeys, Councilor Anthony DiPierro and the mayor’s best friend, Jerry Navarra.
They tried to have Pietrantonio fired from his job with the Everett Public Schools because of postings he made on Facebook – rather bland postings that were neither libelous nor threatening.
That effort failed when Pietrantonio stood up to his accusers.
Pietrantonio says he has identified his vote, has campaigned door to door, has done much more than put up signs and make threats as the mayor’s supporters tend to do.
For his part, Lattanzi has posted many signs, has campaigned with some vigor, and is hoping for a different result.
Both DeFlorio and Lattanzi will find out what it is worth expecting the mayor to get them elected.