Kay, McPherson voted to final round in race for Weymouth mayor

By JACK ENCARNACAO
The Patriot Ledger

WEYMOUTH – It’s down to Sue Kay and Colin McPherson in the race to become the second mayor in Weymouth’s history.

Voters backed Kay, a Weymouth town councilor and Braintree’s executive secretary, and McPherson, an accountant and former town councilor, to face off in the Nov. 6 general election.

Kay outpolled McPherson by 483 votes in Tuesday’s preliminary.

``I’m speechless, I really am, and I’m never speechless,'' Kay said after thanking a roomful of supporters at the Hearth ’N’ Kettle restaurant on Main Street after the results were official. ``It’s a clear indication that the voters are looking for previous municipal experience. ... (The results) have basically reinforced what I thought was important.'' At the Weymouth Eagles hall on Washington Street, McPherson told supporters that the gap between him and Kay is closable.



``We’re going to do what we have to do to get the vote out,'' he said. ``I think when people see it’s just myself and Sue, I think the contrast will serve me well.''

McPherson said he overcame a similar gap in a prior preliminary election for town councilor.

``I think I’m a good closer,'' he said.

Only 6,222, or about 19 percent, of Weymouth’s roughly 32,000 registered voters turned out in Tuesday’s preliminary, which also included a race for District 1 town councilor representing North Weymouth. Victor Pap and Gary Peters secured the votes needed to move on to the general election.

The four other candidates in the mayoral primary – Michael Acciola, William Candler, John Cunningham and Robert Montgomery Thomas – amassed just under 1,000 total votes, which are now up for grabs.

Kay and McPherson promised to campaign much harder in the coming weeks, though some voters interviewed Tuesday said the pair’s messages have already reached them. Sue Walsh of North Weymouth said she voted for McPherson in part because he impressed her in his public appearances. But she said that doesn’t necessarily mean she’ll vote for him in the general election.

``It’s not over yet,'' she said, citing the work McPherson and Kay have both done in town politics as a reason for her vote. ``I want them to continue to do the same work when they’re mayor.''

Leaving Abigail Adams Middle School after casting his vote, Glenn Warren said he chose Kay because of how visible she has been.

``She’s out in the community; I see her up at the soccer field all the time,'' he said. At Hamilton Primary School in South Weymouth, voters made it clear what they think is important in the mayor’s race.

``As a South Weymouth resident, Columbian Square can be tough to get through, the Legion Field situation needs to be sorted out, as well as SouthField and the resulting traffic,'' said Robert West, a former superintendent of Weymouth schools.

Other South Weymouth voters interviewed at Hamilton agreed that traffic around the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station, now called SouthField, is the most critical issue facing the town.

At Kay’s party, onlookers cheered as results from Weymouth’s 18 precincts trickled in and were posted on a projection screen. At town hall, Mayor David Madden, who will be stepping down after two terms, read the results.

Madden announced in July that he would not run again, giving candidates little time to organize a campaign.

McPherson and Kay said that between now and Nov. 6, residents will get the chance to dig deeper into where they stand on the issues facing the town’s next mayor.

``We’ll get meatier,'' Kay said.

Jack Encarnacao may be reached at jencarnacao@ledger.com.