No Primary Elections In Braintree With Just 2 Mayoral Candidates

BRAINTREE, MA — There will be no primary election in Braintree's 2023 local elections, meaning there's a clear picture for the mayoral race.

District 5 Councilor Meredith Boericke shared a message from Braintree’s Town Clerk at the August meeting regarding the upcoming 2023 elections.

The tentative town primary elections scheduled for September won’t be held after all. This comes after only two candidates for mayor filed to run in Erin Joyce and current Mayor Charles Kokoros.

Braintree’s Town Charter states that more than two statements need to be filed with the town in order for there to be a preliminary election for mayor.

Thus, Joyce and Kokoros are at this point considered as official nominees and will face off during the regular town election scheduled for Nov. 7.

Joyce, a former chairperson of the Braintree Planing Board and the Hollis Elementary School PTO Board Co-President, announced her campaign for mayor in April. As for her past roles in local politics, Joyce has served as a member of the Braintree Master Plan Steering Committee and the Braintree Charter Review Commission in addition to her Planning Board leadership.

Kokoros was first elected mayor in 2019. The mayor has a long history in Braintree civic organizations and athletics. He founded Braintree Flag Football, served as the director of the Braintree Little League and Babe Ruth Baseball and was the former director of the local Rotary Club. He served as a councilor from 2008 until his election in 2019, and was a Board of Selectmen member before that.

People considering running for other elected positions can still visit the Town Clerk’s Office to get their name on the ballot. The last day to pick up nomination papers for the Nov. 7 election is Sept. 15 at 5 p.m.

Applications to vote by mail are available online and at the Town Clerk’s Office. The last day to register to vote is Oct. 27 at 5 p.m.