Stewart v. Trisciani: The Battle of the Mayoral Campaign Fund Raisers

Heavyweights Square Off With Campaign Kickoffs This Week

MANCHESTER, NH — Will Stewart and June Trisciani will both hold campaign fundraisers this week at which they will announce their bids to become the next mayor of New Hampshire’s largest city.

Will Stewart throws his hat into the ring first, with a public birthday party at the To Share Brewing Company on Monday, March 20th. The Ward 2 alderman turns 44 years old that day.

Alderman-at-Large June Trisciani is next at bat with a campaign blast-off at Congressman Chris Pappas’ Puritan Backroom restaurant on March 23rd.

The faceoff likey foreshadows the general election in November 2023, as Stewart and Trisciani must be considered the front-runners at this point in the election cycle.

Other contenders to succeed Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig are Democrats Jim O’Connell, the vice chair of the School Board, and former Alderman at large Daniel P. O’Neil, who served as chairman of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. The Republican candidates are Jay Ruais, who has declared, and Victoria Sullivan and Richard H. Girard.

Of the five, only O’Connell can be considered a serious mayoral candidate at this point, as Ruais is a political novice who has not played any discernible role in Manchester politics since Frank Guinta was mayor. Danny O’Neil likely will run for alderman-at-large, a position he held for a generation.

As for Sullivan and Girard, who both act as if they ARE mayor, they are two-time losers when it comes to running for mayor. Neither is likely to raise any significant campaign money or attract anything other than token support.