New Bedford Joint Convention to Fill School Committee Vacancy - January 7, 2026

The City Council and School Committee convened as a joint convention to fill the vacancy left by the sudden passing of long-serving Committee member Bruce Oliveira. Eight candidates applied, and after a process of public statements, nominations, and deliberation, five candidates were nominated. Following three consecutive tie votes (8-8) between candidates Marcus Coward and Henry Bousquet, the Convention voted to continue the proceedings to January 21, 2026, rather than adjourning.

Rules Adoption & Amendments

• The Convention voted 14-2 to amend the rules to allow adoption by a simple majority (9 votes) rather than a supermajority.
• The motion to limit the election to a single night was debated; Councilor Carney and Mr. Livermento expressed concerns about the lack of prior consultation on deadlines but ultimately voted in favor. The motion passed 14-2, establishing the intent to complete the election in one session unless a majority determined continuation was impracticable.
• A motion to eliminate the lowest-voted candidate after the first ballot was adopted 16-0.
• Statement time was amended: candidates and nominees were limited to 3 minutes each (initially proposed as 5 minutes), and each Convention member was allowed to speak twice for up to 5 minutes.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Candidate Presentations: Eight candidates (Eldric Abreu, Aaron Alvarado, Lee Blake, Henry Bousquet, Marcus Coward, Jose Galarza Jr., Brad Markey, and Cheryl Viveros) gave 3-minute opening statements. Positions expressed included:
  • Eldric Abreu: Expressed commitment to listening, equity, safety, and community trust.
  • Aaron Alvarado: Advocated for a focus on fundamentals, vocational programs, and addressing dropped reading comprehension rates.
  • Lee Blake: Proposed leveraging history and arts to inspire students and emphasized the need for fresh leadership.
  • Henry Bousquet: Stated that current educators must be central to policy formulation given rapid state changes; promised to honor Bruce Oliveira's legacy.
  • Marcus Coward: Emphasized bringing a youth perspective, fresh blood, and leveraging existing community relationships built through work with youth and podcasting.
  • Jose Galarza Jr.: Highlighted financial acumen from banking and university roles and a commitment to giving back to the community.
  • Brad Markey: Focused on municipal finance, budgetary responsibility, and family experience with public schools.
  • Cheryl Viveros: Called for addressing teacher retention (citing a 10% loss last year), improving student support, and maintaining school infrastructure.
• Convention Member Comments: Multiple members voiced support for specific candidates based on democratic legitimacy (Councilor Burgo, Councilor Porter supporting Marcus Coward due to his 3,182 election votes), financial expertise (Mayor Mitchell supporting Brad Markey), and the need for a current educator view (Mayor Mitchell initially supporting Henry Bousquet). Councilor Baptiste expressed frustration that candidates did not run during the regular election cycle, while Councilor Carney urged the new member to address concerns about administration overhead. Councilor Gomes declined to reveal his vote before the ballot.

Discussion Items

• Legislative Intent: Debate focused on whether the election should be completed in one night to demonstrate commitment to applicants (supported by Mayor Mitchell and Councilor Gomes) versus the need for adequate deliberation and the impracticality of continuing late into the night.
• Candidate Qualifications: Deliberation contrasted the value of election results (Marcus Coward) against the need for immediate specific skill gaps (financial expertise for Brad Markey; current teaching experience for Henry Bousquet).
• Process Integrity: Councilor Carter noted that the Convention is not tasked with filling Bruce Oliveira's shoes but filling a seat efficiently, while Councilor Gomes emphasized the importance of not dwelling on "what-ifs" regarding the past election.

Key Outcomes

• Nominations: Five candidates received nominations: Lee Blake, Henry Bousquet, Marcus Coward, Brad Markey, and Cheryl Viveros.
• Voting Results:
  • Ballot 1: 7 votes for Coward, 5 for Bousquet, 2 for Markey, 1 for Blake, 1 for Viveros. No majority (9) achieved. Tie for lowest votes triggered continuation of all ballotists.
  • Ballot 2: 7 votes for Coward, 5 for Bousquet, 2 for Markey, 1 for Blake, 1 for Viveros (Tally corrected during session). Viveros eliminated due to zero votes in recount; 4 candidates remained: Coward, Bousquet, Blake, Markey.
  • Ballot 3: 8 votes for Coward, 8 votes for Bousquet, 0 for Blake, 0 for Markey. No majority achieved.
  • Ballot 4: 8 votes for Coward, 8 votes for Bousquet, 0 for Blake, 0 for Markey. No majority achieved.
• Continuation Motion: A motion to continue the Convention to January 21, 2026, at 7:00 PM passed 9-7, citing that continuation at this time is not practicable.
• Next Steps: The Convention will reconvene on January 21, 2026, to cast further ballots.