By Dakota Antelman, Managing Editor
MARLBOROUGH – Marlborough police officer David Garceau has moved to challenge incumbent mayor Arthur Vigeant in this year’s mayoral election.
According to a weekly update from the City Clerk’s office, Garceau pulled papers on June 25, beginning the process necessary to get on the ballot for the city election on Nov. 2.
This marks the second consecutive election in which Garceau has sought election as mayor. Back in 2019, he and Vigeant emerged from a three-way primary as Vigeant then won in the general election.
In a message to supporters shortly before this latest development, Garceau reflected on the years since that 2019 loss.
“We have all come a long way since the last election and I hope to hear from my supporters assuring me that you and your family are all safe,” he wrote via Facebook. “It’s been a dark journey over the last 16 months and I was not immune from contracting Covid as well as suffering the loss of friends and family as well.”
That same message dove deep into the wide-ranging local ripple effects of the coronavirus. He also discussed political unrest that dominated headlines in the region, the state and the nation as the pandemic raged through last summer.
“I hope to address these topics in the near future,” Garceau wrote.
Vigeant is a certified public accountant and currently serves as mayor after spending 18 years on the Marlborough City Council. He won his way into his current City Hall office in 2011 after nine years as City Council President.
Vigeant has now won four re-election bids since that 2011 victory, winning in an uncontested race in 2013 before defeating former fire chief Edward “Skee” Bigelow in 2015 and 2017.
Both Garceau and local businessman Keith St. John offered challenges in 2019, but Vigeant won, once again, that year.
Vigeant is now seeking his sixth term as mayor after he, himself, pulled papers on May 10.
In addition to Garceau and his mayoral bid, Teona Brown recently pulled papers to run for the Ward 4 seat on the City Council. That sets up another potentially contested race, this fall, as incumbent Robert Tunnera has also pulled papers to seek re-election.
Ward 4 includes much of Marlborough’s northwestern corner, including all of Lake Williams, bordering on the cluster of development around the APEX center along Route 20, and stretching up to encompass the Solomon Pond Mall, the New England Sports Center and the rest of that area.
Candidates have until August 13 to pull papers. They then must return signatures to get on the ballot by August 17.
In addition to the mayoral campaign, there are three School Committee, four at large City Council seats and seven ward City Council seats up for grabs.
