Politics & Government

Kimmins to Run Unopposed for Reelection

Democrats do not plan to nominate replacement for Klinger-Kueter.

Republican Councilwoman Vicki Kimmins will continue to represent the second ward for another four years, as Democrats have declined to field a replacement candidate against her in the November election.

The Democrats had a vacancy in the ward after Carolyn Klinger-Kueter, a local music teacher, announced over the summer that she was ending her campaign against Kimmins. Klinger-Kueter, a past Democratic nominee for mayor, cited personal reasons for ending her Council campaign. Democratic mayoral nominee Bill Brennan said that while local Democrats reached out to several possible replacements for the race, the potential candidates declined because of the time commitment involved to make the race. The party has until next Tuesday to nominate a replacement for Klinger-Kueter.

Brennan said the partisan make-up of the second ward was not a factor in the party not nominating a candidate to face off with Kimmins. No Democrat has won a second ward Council seat in town history. The second ward is the most Republican of the four wards in Westfield.

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"We asked people to step up and run," Brennan said. "It is a huge time commitment. Once you have a candidate agree to take on the challenge and they bow out, it is hard to replace them."

Brennan all but formally endorsed Kimmins for reelection, praising her work on the Council over the last four years. He said he can see Kimmins fitting in well with a Democratic led Council should he defeat Mayor Andy Skibitsky in the mayor's race, saying that she has been a bipartisan councilwoman.

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"I look forward to working with Vicki Kimmins," Brennan said, citing her work on researching a potential environmental commission with Democratic Councilman Dave Haas. "She has the attitude and qualities to get a group together to work in a bipartisan fashion."

Kimmins for her part is excited to be guaranteed another four years on the Council. She said she views the Democrats' decision to not field a replacement for Klinger-Kueter as an endorsement of her work over the last four years.

"I think it's great because I hope it means everyone thinks I am doing a good job," she said.

 


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