Feeney Launches Bid For Framingham District 3 Council Seat

FRAMINGHAM, MA — The District 3 Framingham City Council race will be competitive this year for the first time since Framingham became a city.

Mary Kate Feeney, vice chair of the city's Strategic Initiatives and Financial Oversight Committee(SIFOC), launched her bid for the seat on Wednesday, giving incumbent Adam Steiner his first challenge since the 2017 election. Steiner last won election in 2019 in an uncontested race.

In her campaign announcement, Feeney laid out several items she would work on as a Councilor: environmental initiatives like adding solar panels to city buildings, expanding the recycling center services and reducing the city's carbon footprint by 2035; and increasing the number of social workers and mental health professionals employed by the city and school department.

Feeney, 38, also said she'd work on boosting rail trails in Framingham, including the nascent Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, which Steiner has also made part of his campaign. Feeney runs a local Facebook group focused on trail infrastructure in the region.

"District 3 and Framingham need a proactive Councilor who listens to the needs of all people in the district," she said in her announcement. "A Councilor who is not afraid of thinking outside the box and pushing the city government to do the same. A Councilor who will hold [themselves] and the city accountable for responding to residents, building a community that reflects all of Framingham and working towards a stronger, progressive future."

Although Feeney has political experience — she worked for former Gov. Deval Patrick and is a member of the Framingham Democratic Committee — this is her first run for citywide elected office. She came in third in a 2018 four-way Democratic primary for the seat state Rep. Maria Robinson eventually won.

Steiner won the District 3 seat in 2017 against former Town Moderator Joel Winett with more than 65 percent of the vote. In 2020, he became the City Council Vice Chair and took over as chair of the influential Finance Subcommittee, which oversees the annual budget process. Steiner announced his 2021 reelection bid over the Memorial Day weekend.

In 2021, all but the two At-Large City Council seats are up for election, plus the library and cemetery trustees. Most Councilors are returning for reelection in 2021, except Robert Case and Margareth Shepard. Steiner and District 4 Councilor Michael Cannon are the only two incumbents who have attracted challengers so far.

Here are all the candidates who had pulled papers to run this year as of Thursday, according to the City Clerk:

Mayor

• Carlos Valadares
• Charlie Sisitsky
• Yvonne Spicer (i)
• Rick McKenna

District 1 City Council

• Christine Long (i)

District 2 City Council

• Cesar Stewart-Morales (i)

District 3 City Council

• Adam Steiner (i)
• Mary Kate Feeney

District 4 City Council

• Michael Cannon (i)
• Stephanie Deeley
• James Pillsbury

District 5 City Council

• Noval Alexander

District 6 City Council

• Philip Ottaviani (i)

District 7 City Council

• Magdalena Katarzyna Janus
• Eugene C. Grzywna

District 8 City Council

• John Stefanini (i)

District 9 City Council

• Edgardo Angel Torres

School Committee District 1

• Beverly Hugo (i)

School Committee District 2

• Richard Finlay

School Committee District 3

• Jennifer Moshe

School Committee District 4

• Adam Freudberg (i)

School Committee District 5

• Priscila Sousa (i)

School Committee District 7

• Eugene Grzywna

School Committee District 8

• Jessica Barnhill (i)

School Committee District 9

• William Labarge (i)

Related Coverage

• Framingham Councilor Robert Case Won't Run In 2021
• Framingham Councilor Stefanini Running In 2021, But Not For Mayor
• Framingham Councilors Steiner, Stewart-Morales Running In 2021
• Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer Will Seek Re-election In 2021
• Sisitsky Campaign Launch Features Sharp Criticism Of Spicer
• Framingham Councilor Margareth Shepard Not Running In 2021

Correction: An earlier version of this story omitted Feeney's previous electoral experience.