Nashua Teachers Announce Mayoral Endorsement

The Nashua Teachers Union this week endorsed Jim Donchess (pictured) for Nashua mayor.

Donchess is one of six candidates in the Sept. 8 primary. Current Mayor Donnalee Lozeau decided not to run for re-election.

“After reviewing all of the candidates who submitted their responses to the Teachers Union Committee on Political Education questionnaire on education, the committee voted almost unanimously to support Jim. Given his longstanding record on and commitment to education in Nashua, we know that Jim is the right choice,” said teachers union president Bob Sherman in a statement.

Donchess, 65, who now serves as alderman, previously served as mayor in the 1980s.

The other mayoral candidates in the September primary are:

• David Deane
• Daniel Moriarty
• Chris Williams
• Doug Carroll
• Michael Broderick

The two winners will face off in the November general election.

The Donchess campaign provided these statements from local teachers about his endorsement:

• “I’ve known Jim since our children were in elementary school together many years ago. His commitment to public education and learning has been the root of him as a citizen of Nashua and as a public servant. His support of education spans decades, and he is and has always been authentic and genuine in his commitment to our city,” says Nashua High School South teacher Judy Loftus. “In 2010, when he saw budget cuts that would have resulted in the loss of many teachers in Nashua, he and a group of citizens formed the organization Nashua Schools Back On Top. They advocated successfully to restore many of those cuts before the budget was finalized. We must elect Jim as Mayor to have a partner in City Hall who ensures that children and teachers in Nashua always have an advocate.”
• “About a year ago Jim stopped by my house and we had a really in-depth conversation about education. I was, and have continued to be, very impressed by his outreach to Nashua residents and his commitment to children,” says Ledge Street Elementary School Teacher Sylvie Stewart. “Jim knows that the most beneficial way to improve Nashua is through working with educators to provide a high quality public-school education, one that meets the demands of all its children so that each child has the opportunity to thrive.”
• “It’s an honor to have earned the support of Nashua’s teachers. Education is the backbone of any community and when schools thrive, the community thrives and our economy thrives,” said Donchess. “Making children, teachers and education a priority in Nashua is key if we want our city to grow and succeed.”