Dan Goonan & Joe Kelly Levasseur Top GOP Poll for Alderman at Large
Incumbent Dan O’Neil Lags as a Very Distant Fourth
MANCHESTER, NH — Daniel P. O’Neil has served as alderman at large ever since the office was created by the revised City Charter, but he is facing sure defeat according to an internal Republican poll.
According to sources, the GOP has incumbent Joe Kelly Levasseur neck-to-neck with former Fire Chief Dan Goona in the race for alderman at large. Newcomer June Trisciani is 400 votes off the pace to secure a seat on the Manchester Board of Mayor and Alderman.
In horse racing, WIN-PLACE-SHOW are the jargon for coming in first, second, and third — in the money. There is no term for a fourth place finisher, other than “loser”.
Under the Queen City’s municipal charter, each voter is given two votes for alderman at large, as there are two positions on the BMA. Up to four candidates — the top four finishers in the September primary, if there are at least that many challengers — reach the November ballot.
O’Neil and Levasseur were unopposed in the September 2017 primary, and thus were winners. In 2019, however, O’Neil was almost upset by Ward 11 School Board member Katie Desrochers.
Joe Kelly LEvasseur led all alderman at large candidates with 9,261 votes, with O’Neil coming in second 8,624. Desrochers finished out of the Manchester municipal sweepstakes money with 8,491 votes, just 137 votes shy of winning the seat.
Perpetual candidate Will Infantine, who has decided to run for School Board member at large this year, came in a distant fourth, with 5,062 votes.
