A “Bullet” for Dan O’Neil: Voters Need to Cast a Vote for Veteran Alderman-at-Large & Refrain From Casting Their Second Vote — OPINION
MANCHESTER, NH — Daniel P. O’Neil needs to be returned to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA), where he served in one of the two art-large seats for 22 years. With Alderman at Large Joe Kelly Levasseur sure to be returned to the BMA, Democrats, liberal-to-moderate Republicans and the undeclared voter who cares about this city should give Danny a “bullet” come Tuesday, November 7th.
Voting a “bullet” means that the voter, who has two votes to cast for the position of alderman at large, votes for one candidate and does not cast their second vote,in order to improve the chances their favored candidate will be elected.
Democrats and progressives might be tempted to cast one of their two alderman at large votes for Mary Ngwanda Georges. While Georges is a fine person and a distinguished community activist, when it comes to her performance on the Board of the School Committee when she represented Ward 3 from 2015 through 2020, one would say it was lackluster at best.
Georges was very fond of Republican Mayors Frank Guinta and Ted Gatsas. Guinta got her a five-figure financial grant to help her fellow immigrants, and she has had a soft sport for Republican mayors ever since.
Reportedly, she was so smitten with Gatsas, Georges held a fundraiser for Gatsas when he was running for state office. She tried to keep the fundraiser a secret from her Democrats, but word leaked out.
The bottom line is that voting for Georges is futile, as she cannot win and will come in last in the four-way polling.
The Levasseur Threat
Joe Kelly Levasseur is popular with voters, but has never wielded any real influence on the Board due to his extreme negativity. He exercised what power he did through attacks on Mayor Craig and other aldermen on his public access TV show and via social media. Backed up by his peanut gallery of “Say It’s So Joe!” supporters, he can put a fright into certain aldermen, but never had much influence on the actual work of the Board.
Until he lost in 2021, Danny O’Neil in his races for alderman at large frequently was the top vote getter in mayoral elections, though sometimes Joe Kelly Levasseur would take the honor, one or the other sometimes racking up more votes than the successful mayoral candidate.
Though Levasseur came within 90-some-odd votes of being defeated by Dan Goonan in 2021, Goonan is running unopposed in Ward 2. With incumbent June Trisciani, who decided to run for mayor this year, out of the race, Joe Kelly Levasseur is sure to be the top vote-getter for alderman at large seat.
That means one alderman at large seat is already spoken for. To ensure that Democrat O’Neil makes it onto the BMA, voters must vote him a bullet.
O’Neil’s past electoral success does not mean that he is a shoe-in. When long-serving alderman-at-large Mike Lopez, the chairman of the Board, ran to regain his seat in 2013 after being defeated by Levasseur two years earlier, he made an impressive show, but ultimately was defeated.
The City of Manchester cannot afford to see Dan O’Neil similarly denied a comeback to the Board. Voters MUST vote a bullet for O’Neil.
Republicans Could Win A Majority on the Board
NOT voting a ballot for Dan O’Neil means that Will Infantine, Joe Kelly Levasseur’s co-host on his public access TV show, might win the other alderman at large seat. That would be a disaster.
I respect for Will Infantine personally, though we disagree on many political issues. But I lost some of that respect for him when he returned to be the co-host of a public TV show with a man who smeared him with vicious rumors a decade ago, when the two attempted to run as a tandem for alderman at large.
Infantine’ sycophantic behavior — his kissing Levasseur’s ass on live TV each week — is just flat out gross.
To ensure that Will Infantine does not get on the BMA, voters must cast a bullet for Danny O’Neil.
The Republicans are assured of winning four seats on the 2024–25 Board. They are in a position to pick up three more seats, giving them a total of seven seats, fully half the board.
The last time there was as many as four Republicans on the Board, they acted as a wrecking crew, trying to derail any program or initiative that did not please Alderman at Large Joe Kelly Levasseur, whom Infantine during one Will and Joe Show earlier this year declared to be the de facto Mayor of Manchester.
My assessment of the Republicans winning up to seven seats DID NOT include Will Infantine winning the second alderman at large seat. The next Board of Mayor and Aldermen could have a Republican majority, if Infantine wins.
Many political insiders are predicting an 8–6 split with the Democrats retaining control of the Board.
For those voters who care for the future of the City and do not wish to see a new and more potent version of Joe Levasseur’ Wrecking Crew become the decisive power on the Board, VOTE A BULLET FOR DANNY O’NEIL ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH.
The polling places will be open from 6am to 7pm.
