08-08-2025
First-time Worcester candidate has raised nearly 50% more than any competitors
There are a total of 14 candidates who are campaigning this year to be a Worcester City Councilor-at-Large.
Of those candidates, Satya Mitra, a first-time candidate, has raised the most money, amassing $81,653.99 as of Aug. 6, according to the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance.
Mitra, 73, is the founder of The Guru Tax and Financial Services.
Notable people who contributed to his campaign include Worcester Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Timothy Murray, President of Worcester Business Development Corp. Craig Blais, lawyer for Prince Lobel Tye and chair of the Worcester Redevelopment Authority, Michael Agelini, and District 2 Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson.
While many of his donors are from Massachusetts, Mitra has also received donations from people in Texas, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Florida, Tennessee, Colorado, New Hampshire, California and Ohio, according to the OCPF.
The candidate has also received several donations worth $1,000. One of these $1,000 donations is from Supriya Mitra, who works in client relations for Mitra's company.
Coming behind Mitra in donations is Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty, who has collected $54,768.19 as of Aug. 6, according to the OCPF.
Petty is running for both mayor and city councilor-at-large.
Any city councilor-at-large candidate who earns the most votes in the general election becomes mayor, according to the elections office.
As such, all at-large candidates technically run for mayor, but they do have the option to opt out of the mayoral race and just run for city councilor-at-large, according to the city charter.
Some of the donors on Petty's list include former Worcester City Manager and Massachusetts Housing Secretary Ed Augustus, Michael Angelini, Tim Murray and President of Yatco Energy, Hassan Yatim, the latter donating $1,000 to the campaign.
Like Mitra, Petty has also received some out-of-state donations. Donors from Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Georgia have donated to the mayor's campaign.
Incumbents
Among the remaining councilor-at-large candidates who are incumbents, City Council Vice Chair and Councilor-at-Large Khrystian King raised $24,234.05, according to the OCPF.
He has received a $500 donation from the SEIU 1199, SEIU Local 888, and the Massachusetts & Northern New England Laborers' District Council PAC, respectively.
In addition to running for city councilor-at-large, King is running for mayor again this year, setting up a rematch between him and Petty.
Councilor-at-Large Morris Bergman raised $23,879.89, while Kate Toomey raised $11,487.14. Councilor-at-Large Donna Colorio raised the least among the incumbents running for councilor-at-large, amassing $10,904.40.
Councilor-at-Large Thu Nguyen is not running for re-election this year.
Bergman's donors include Worcester Chamber CEO, Timothy Murray, Craig Blais, owner of the Mercadante Funeral Home, Kevin Mercandante and Satya Mitra.
Murray, Mercadante and Blais are also donors for Toomey. She also received a $500 donation from the I.B.E.W. Local Union 96 Political Action Committee.
As for Colorio, her donor list features figures such as Worcester County Sheriff Lewis Evangelidis, John Piccolo, the owner of Piccolo's restaurant on Shrewsbury Street and Mercandante.
Challengers
Of the candidates running for councilor-at-large who are not incumbents, Cayden Davis raised the most money.
Davis has raised $10,453.67 as of Aug. 6, according to OCPF.
The candidate's donors include Keith Linhares, a candidate running for District 1 in Worcester, Joshua Croke, the founder of the non-profit Love Your Labels and School Committee Member Susan Mailman.
Former school committee member Jermoh Kamara, who is also running for councilor-at-large, raised $6,718.56. Charles Luster, the founder of 2GetherWeEat, raised $5,543.12, Owura-Kwaku Sarkodieh raised $2,468.31, former City Councilor Gary Rosen raised $2,270 and Jessica Pepple raised $1,702.92, according to OCPF.
Candidates Edson Montero and Bernard Iandoli, both of whom are on the ballot, have not reported any fundraising.
There will be a preliminary election on Sept. 2 to narrow the field from 14 candidates to 12. The remaining 12 will move on to the general election on Nov. 5. The candidates who place first, second, third, fourth and fifth will be seated as councilors-at-large.
Here's how much Worcester candidates have raised as of Aug. 6:
Mayor
Joseph Petty (incumbent): $54,768.19
Khrystian King: $24,234.05
Councilor-at-Large
Satya Mitra: $81,653.99
Joseph Petty (incumbent): $54,768.19
Khrystian King (incumbent): $24,234.05
Morris Bergman (incumbent): $23,879.89
Kate Toomey (incumbent): $11,487.14
Donna Colorio (incumbent): $10,904.40
Cayden Davis: $10,453.67
Jermoh Kamara: $6,718.56
Charles Luster: $5,543.12
Owura-Kwaku Sarkodieh: $2,468.31
Gary Rosen: $2,270
Jessica Pepple: $1,702.92
Edson Montero: $0
Bernard Iandoli: $0
District 1 Councilor
Tony Economou: $20,123.30
Keith Linhares: $8,653.90
District 2 Councilor
Candy Mero-Carlson (incumbent): $24,595.52
Robert Bilotta: $17,441.53
District 3 Councilor
Robert Pezzella: $39,239.75
John Freselo: $19,263.40
District 4 Councilor
Luis Ojeda (incumbent): $1,428.21
Ted Kostas: $6,119.48
District 5 Councilor
Etel Haxhiaj (incumbent): $18,965.39
Jose Rivera: $14,712.80
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