BRAINTREE MAYOR - Sullivan sweeps into power

Mayor-elect Joseph Sullivan enters Braintree Sons of Italy lodge with wife Barbara, left, son Patrick, 15, and daughter Molly, 17. (LISA BUL/The Patriot Ledger)

By DIANA SCHOBERG
The Patriot Ledger

BRAINTREE - For more than a month, Braintree residents have known they’d have a ‘‘Mayor Joe’’ come January.

Now, they know which Joe that will be.

Joseph Sullivan will take the historic post as the town’s first mayor after a landslide victory over opponent Joseph Powers.

Sullivan won 70 percent of the vote, with 6,602 votes cast in his favor.

VOTE TOTALS

As Sullivan walked into town hall on Tuesday night, where election results were being read, a cry of ‘‘the first mayor!’’ came from the crowd, along with applause.

‘‘I’m ready to go,’’ he said. ‘‘This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our town.’’

In an interview, Powers congratulated Sullivan on his victory, and said he looked forward to meeting his obligations as a selectmen and focusing on his career and his family. He and his wife are expecting their first child this month.

He said he was ‘‘tremendously appreciative’’ of all of the efforts of his supporters.

‘‘I can’t say thank you enough,’’ Powers said.

Braintree residents voted last year to abolish their centuries-old town meeting in favor of a mayor-council form of government. The new chief executive will take office on Jan. 2.

Sullivan, 48, a former Braintree selectmen, state legislator and executive director of the Massachusetts lottery, campaigned on an ‘‘ABC’’ plan for government focusing on accountability, beautification and core services. He pledged a top-to-bottom forensic audit of the town government, and said every facet of the town’s government will be up for review.





As for when he’ll start, Sullivan said he’d be at it today. He said he plans to meet with department heads this week.

‘‘I am mindful of the fact that everything we do will be precedent setting,’’ he said. ‘‘We are creating a new government. With that comes a tremendous opportunity and responsibility.’’

At his victory party, at Braintree Sons of Italy on King Hill Road, his supporters said they think Sullivan is the right person to lead Braintree into a new era.

‘‘He’ll put things in order,’’ said Ed Gibbons, one of Sullivan’s neighbors.

‘‘I think he’s just such a genuine man who has a wonderful love for Braintree, and it shows,’’ said Ann Toland, whose late husband Frank served as a selectman with Sullivan and who helped with his mayoral campaign. ‘‘I think it’s a very exciting time to be in Braintree.’’

Reach Diana Schoberg at dschoberg@ledger.com.

Copyright 2007 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Wednesday, November 07, 2007