Worcester Councilor Wally To Run For At-Large Seat In 2021

WORCESTER, MA — The 2021 Worcester City Council races continued to heat up over the last week with a new candidate entering the picture, and a familiar Councilor's decision to run for a new seat.

Over the weekend, District 5 Councilor Matt Wally said he would run for an At-Large seat on the Council to focus on city-wide issues. There is an open slot among the city's six At-Large seats after Councilor Gary Rosen said this summer he likely won't run for another term.

"An at-large position will allow me to continue to serve the city of Worcester and further advocate for citywide issues that I am truly passionate about, including: equitable internet access, small business support, and the development of pedestrian-friendly street design," Wally said in a Facebook post Saturday.

Wally was elected in 2017 and 2019 to the District 5 seat, which covers the west side of the city. Had Wally run for the seat again, he would've had competition. Newton Square resident Yenni Desroches filed paperwork with the state in November to run in District 5.

Apart from Desroches, Johanna Hampton-Dance filed paperwork to run against incumbent District 2 Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson in July. YWCA Central Massachusetts domestic violence services director Deborah Hall and Main South resident Thu Nguyen have also filed to run for Council seats.

Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance advocacy director Etel Haxhiaj, who ran for a Council seat in 2019, has announced she'll run in 2021, but hasn't filed paperwork with the state yet.

And on Dec. 29, political organizer Cory Bisbee filed papers for a Council run. Bisbee has also been keeping track of all the candidates intending to run for either School Committee or City Council.

Correction: An earlier version of this story stated Bisbee worked with the group Movement School, but he has not worked with that group.