Endorsements
Governor Maura Healey
Endorsement Statement
“I am so proud to endorse Greg Verga in his reelection campaign for Mayor of Gloucester and look forward to his continuing partnership, Over his first term, Mayor Verga has shown a dedication to improving the lives of Gloucester residents by focusing on engagement and bread-and-butter issues. Gloucester is in good hands with Mayor Verga at the helm.”
Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll
Endorsement Statement
“Mayor Verga has delivered for the people of Gloucester and I’ve seen first-hand—both as Lieutenant Governor and as a fellow mayor [formerly Salem]—the impact he’s had on the people and future of this great city, The Governor and I are proud to endorse the Mayor for another term so we can continue to work together to tackle the most pressing issues facing residents, from economic growth and affordability to housing and sustainability.”
City Council President Sean Nolan
Endorsement Statement
“I’ve worked closely with Mayor Verga over the last 22 months and he’s been a great advocate for our City. As a former Ward 5 city councilor, he understands the unique issues our Ward faces without having to study up. I fully support his campaign for a second term. With a grandson at West Parish, he’s definitely focused on Ward 5 education, in addition to all of Gloucester schools, From his time on the City Council, Greg was a key factor for progress. He created the Magnolia Woods Advisory Committee at a time when that kind of step was really needed. As mayor, he inherited a lot of projects at a standstill, got them moving again and pushed them across the goal line. One of the big ones was permanently modernizing Magnolia Pier. He’s earned another two years at the helm.”
Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA)
Largest Union and Professional Association of Nurses and Health Professionals in Mass.
Endorsement Statement
“The Massachusetts Nurses Association is excited to once again endorse Greg Verga for Mayor. Mayor Verga has demonstrated he understands how to work with various stakeholders and take a collaborative approach to ensure Gloucester is a city that works for all its residents .”
Vietnam Veterans’ Committee
Endorsement Statement
“Without Mayor Verga, the Vietnam Memorial would still be a dream, not a reality. The Committee appreciates all he has accomplished for the city and for bringing the Memorial to its rightful place for all to see and remember.”
Cape Ann Pride Coalition
Endorsement Statement
“We very much appreciate you taking the time to answer vital questions about the LGBTQ+ Community here on Cape Ann, your support for us past and present, and also your commitment to not only stand as an ally, but as an advocate - in good times and bad in the future.
Therefore, we are very proud to offer you our endorsement for the 2023 Election cycle!”
Carolyn Kirk, former Mayor
Endorsement Statement
“If you believe in City government serving as an instrument of good, please join me in voting for Mayor Verga’s re-election this fall. Having sat in that chair, I’m confident he remains the best choice for the City. I know him. I trust him. He shares many of my values and I feel good about casting my ballot for him. If you agree that thoughtful, compassionate leadership makes a difference, he’s the obvious choice.”
Bruce Tobey, former Mayor
Endorsement Statement
“The only difference between Mayor Verga now and two years ago is that he’s proven his worth in action. He’s a guy who’s steady, thoughtful and consensus-oriented who doesn’t seek the limelight. That’s how you reach the long-term results you aspire to and keep your eye on making a better future.”
John Bell, former Mayor
Endorsement Statement
“Gloucester, like so many cities and towns, got pulled apart during COVID, and Greg Verga’s calm and open leadership is helping to pull us back together. My wife Jan and I are supporting Mayor Verga’s re-election, for sure.”
Mike McLeod, former Gloucester Chief of Police and City Councilor
Endorsement Statement
“I worked with Mayor Verga’s dad in the course of my career and he was an incredible, authentic presence. With Tony, what you saw was what you got. Greg is the same. You never need to guess what he’s thinking. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
John McCarthy, former Gloucester Chief of Police and City Councilor
Endorsement Statement
“I think what’s special about this Mayor is that he surrounds himself with people who know what they’re talking about, listens to their counsel, then makes what he believes is the best decision for Gloucester. I’ve spent time with Greg on and off the clock and he’s a real son of Gloucester. The guy really cares.”
Mike Lane, former Gloucester Chief of Police
Endorsement Statement
“I was really impressed when the Mayor hammered out a deal with the state to fund $5 million of the new police station and courthouse while getting a guarantee that the court would stay in Gloucester,” he says. “Greg thinks about what’s best for Gloucester 24-7. This city is lucky to have him guiding the day-to-day at City Hall.”
Gloucester Clam
Endorsement Statement
The Clam has been hard on Verga in past elections, but we give a tip of the hat to him: he’s been a steady hand during this term. He’s tackling the big issues (secondary sewer treatment plant kicked down the road for 40 years; climate changes; long-range planning with community involvement; allocating ARPA funds to improve infrastructure) and the softer, fuzzier ones (participating as much as possible in Gloucester’s 400+ anniversary events).
He hasn’t shied away from difficult issues. He’s managed to increase the City’s road budget by 500%, no mean feat. He helped get us through a severe drought accompanied by days-long wildfires. He has repeatedly said he wants Gloucester to be a place his grandchildren can enjoy well into adulthood. That also means making it as affordable as possible to live here, and he has been a man of his word as far as working toward more diverse housing stock for all including directing $1.5M of ARPA funding to that end.
And to be clear, we were big Sefatia stans during her time in office. She had a good staff, she was entertaining and generally competent, and she was basically the more fun Id of Gloucester. Despite that, we’re enjoying the lack of drama associated with Mayor Verga a lot more than we ever expected to. He doesn’t make a lot of fuss, he just does the job well.
Challenger: Mary Ellen Rose
Where do we even start? This is MER’s second or third time running for office in Gloucester. She ran for Council in 2011 but did not win. She was our Health Department director for…five months and three weeks. Yes, she has a Ph.D., but what good does that education do when she thinks “Sound of Freedom” is legitimate journalism?
Comments during her public, Zoom-recorded job interview included an anecdote about how she told a room full of Black graduate students they had no idea what it was like to be in her position as a white person with no support at home, basically saying she feels she has been overlooked for opportunities because of the color of her skin. She said that! With a straight face! Tell us you don’t understand white privilege without telling us you don’t understand white privilege, Mary Ellen. And, no, it is not our job to explain it to you.
Perhaps out of sheer desperation, MER was hired for the Health Department director job but stayed only 5 months. She did say during the Lanesville debate she’d be happy to share her personnel file with whoever is interested. We at The Clam are wondering if she would allow the City to release the record. Sure, she says she has her personnel file on hand. If it is also the same as the one in the City of Gloucester Personnel Department, why not just make that one public? As a former City employee, she could do that.
What we do know is, thanks to a Public Record request for MER’s City-owned cell phone records, it seems her political stance is in line with the far-right. We’ll put the screen shots on our Facebook page because, honestly, this is long enough already and we don’t want you to leave this blog post yet.
Still not sure? Here’s a fun new game we’re calling “Match the quotes below to the candidate for Mayor who said them!”*
*these things could have been said in past bids for office as well. All public statements are fair game.
“I don’t want this city to become a bedroom community of Boston or a welfare state”
“You have no idea what’s it like to be a white person from an uneducated background”
“Public participation is a crucial piece around the future of the former East Gloucester School site”
“Beware of those who share information who do not have generational roots in Gloucester”
“I believe housing is a basic human right”
“It was a privilege to share a moment with 97 immigrants”
Vote Verga, yo. Bonus: good alliteration.
Henry McCarl,
Endorsement Statement
“I am urging voters in the Gloucester City Election on Nov. 7 to support Mayor Greg Verga for re-election.
I have known him and worked with him since he was a member of the City Council. He has done a fine job since he was elected two years ago and his selection and work with his staff and department heads has been very commendable and highly successful.”
Joseph A. Ciolino,
Endorsement Statement
“I firmly believe Mayor Greg Verga has brought professionalism back to City Hall. He is working cooperatively with his department heads, city boards and commissions to move city government forward. He is also remarkably accessible to any and all residents with concerns and issues.”
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Sunny Robinson,
Endorsement Statement
“I believe his steadfast, thoughtful leadership definitely makes him the person to keep in office and continue to lead us forward as a community into the near future, commencing the next 400 years of Gloucester history. Please join me in supporting Mayor Greg Verga on Sept. 19 and then in the Nov. 7 general election.”
Carl Gustin
Endorsement Statement
“Verga brings important, relevant experience from his 14 years working in city government, first on the School Committee and then as a city councilor. In his time as mayor, Verga and his staff and managers have brought a steady hand to city government. In any administration there is room for improvement. Nevertheless, Verga’s early decisions are noteworthy”
Lizzy Mendola
Endorsement Statement
“As a single, early 30s woman living in Gloucester and commuting to Boston Children’s Hospital as a medical professional, I’ve benefitted first-hand from the improvements across the city since Mayor Greg Verga took office. The past two years have been a marked difference from the first two years I lived here.”
Dan Ottenheimer, former Health Director
Endorsement Statement
“I have had the privilege of working with or knowing personally the last six mayors of Gloucester. I can say without reservation that Mayor Greg Verga stands out among them as a highly qualified leader and someone more than worthy of re-election to the office.”
Dennis McGurk and Grant Clark
Endorsement Statement
“Mayor Verga is committed to appointing board and commission members who share and will implement his principles. He also recognizes that the City must more pro-actively seek independent advice from City attorneys and consultants, and rely less upon developers’ representations.
There have been some suggestions that Mayor Verga is too close to the developer community. The principles above should lay that claim to rest. He has been admirably transparent and has shown no favoritism.
For those who care about smart growth and the future of Gloucester, we encourage you to support Mayor Verga for re-election on November 7.”
Carolyn Stewart
Endorsement Statement
“I very quickly came to appreciate Greg Verga’s leadership, his steadiness and thoughtfulness, his ability to work through thorny problems, his willingness to listen to people who disagree with him. I was particularly grateful for his refusal to continue the decades-long practice of kicking the can down the road on important infrastructure projects, most importantly secondary sewage treatment which will have enormous positive impact on fish processing in our community. I appreciate the strong bond he has forged with our state legislators and other officials who are helping us to offset some of the enormous costs of these long-delayed but necessary projects. And I appreciate his willingness to confront the looming housing crisis in Gloucester with an open mind and reasonable proposals, contrasted with his opponent, who declined even to show up at a recent housing forum.”
Paid for by the Verga Committee