Kokoros, Reynolds To Face Off In Braintree Mayoral Race

BRAINTREE, MA — Braintree narrowed the field of four mayoral candidates down to two with District 1 Town Councilor Charles Kokoros and Electric Light Board chair Thomas Reynolds Jr. winning the town's preliminary election Tuesday night, according to unofficial results. Kokoros garnered the most votes with 2,725, while Reynolds took second place with 2,025.

Both candidates will have until Nov. 5 to convince residents they are worthy of being Braintree's second ever mayor.

Preliminary Mayoral Election Unofficial Results:

1. Charles Kokoros - 2,725 votes
2. Thomas Reynolds Jr. - 2,024 votes
3. Lisa Fiske Heger - 1,170 votes
4. Thomas Bowes - 308 votes
5. Write-in - 13 votes

Given that Mayor Joseph Sullivan has served as mayor since 2008, and 17 candidates have emerged for nine town council seats, the local government of Braintree is expected to change arguably the most it ever has since the town switched from a representative town meeting to a mayor-council system of government in 2008.

Issues like potential rezoning changes and the aging of schools, Department of Public Works building and other infrastructure have been in the forefront this entire election season.

Kokoros told Patch the most pressing issues facing Braintree are the proposed 40R high-density residential development and comprehensive rezone plan. He advocates a master plan being done before any changes to zoning are made and said he wants Braintree to maintain its "small-town character and sense of community."

Many residents have expressed similar views. A Planning Board meeting last April saw hundreds of residents fill Town Hall in protest to a new zoning proposal over worries it would allow for overcrowded housing developments.

"As mayor, I will withdraw the comprehensive zoning proposal and continue my support in funding a new master plan," Kokoros said in Patch candidate profile.

Reynolds told Patch the most important issue facing Braintree is to figure out how the town goes about upgrading aging buildings and other infrastructure without creating an additional burden on the taxpayer or cutting the level of service.

"Our schools have always been a priority and the level of education offered to our children," Reynolds said in a Patch candidate profile. "The ability of the next mayor to balance the cost of maintaining the quality of our educational programs while at the same time, managing to provide revenues to address the aging town water treatment plant, a outdated fire department headquarters and a rundown DPW facility are just a few of the high cost upgrades to our infrastructure and the significant challenge they pose to all of us in Braintree."

Still deciding who to vote for in November's election? Check out the profiles Patch did for the two remaining candidates.

Patch Profiles for Braintree's Mayoral Candidates

• Braintree Candidate Profile: Charles Kokoros For Mayor
• Braintree Candidate Profile: Thomas Reynolds Jr. For Mayor

Voter turnout was close to the 25 to 26 percent Town Clerk Jim Casey expected but fell just short of projections. Out of Braintree's 26,478 registered voters, 6,272 came out to cast a ballot, according to unofficial results. That means about 23.7 percent of registered voters made their way to the polls.