Politics & Government
Woonsocket Primary 2013: Baldelli-Hunt, Fontaine Advance
Baldelli-Hunt pulls in majority of a larger-than-usual electorate.
A larger than usual number of voters have put incumbent Mayor Leo Fontaine and Rep. Lisa Baldelli-Hunt (D-Dist. 49) on the Nov. 5 mayoral election ballot tonight, with the latter winning the lion's share of the votes.
Baldelli-Hunt won 2,638 votes, according to unofficial figures, pulling in three digits to Fontaine's two-figure tallies across eight of the city's 11 districts.
"It's time for a new direction in the city of Woonsocket," Baldelli-Hunt told boisterous supporters at One Social Street just after 8:30 p.m. "This is just one step in a thousand mile journey."
Fontaine won 826 votes, scoring a three digit tally in just two districts, Park View and Savoie School.
At Ciro's Tavern on Cherry Street, Fontaine, surrounded by a serious crowd of about 60, asked supporters to help spread the word about his campaign. People need to know, he said, that the problems the city faces are largely due to decisions made in the General Assembly, where Baldelli-Hunt has spent the last several years.
"People are angry and I understand it. I'm angry myself," Fontaine said, "This election is a choice about somebody that sat up at the State House and voted for all of those budgets that cut the funding from us."
Fisher said his campaign was a success thanks to the ideas he was able to offer in the debate. He also offered his service to whoever wins the November mayoral contest. "I am yours," he said to the next mayor.
As for who he'd rather offer his service to, "I really haven't made any decision about endorsing any candidate at this point," Fisher said.
Shortly after runners began providing vote totals at Baldelli-Hunt's headquarters, her lead became insurmountable once numbers from Crapeau Court [220 to 46] and Bernon Heights [293 to 95] went up on the handwritten tally board.
By the time the results from Woonsocket High School [361 to 92] and Savoie School [371 to 136] came in, the assembled supporters' celebration reached its peak.
Baldelli-Hunt entered the gathering shortly before 8:30 p.m. to raucous applause.
The Board of Canvassers reported the voter tally was at 3,798 by 7 p.m., 50 percent over the 2011 primary total.
With reporting by Joe Hutnak
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