Democrats win back seat on city council with Dickau victory in District 3 special election

Posted By: David Fortier July 30, 2024

The special election for the City Council District 3 seat left vacant when council member Andrew Howe resigned has been decided, with Mark Dickau defeating Sal Mazzarella, 691-446, unofficially, as reported by the city of Bristol Registrars of Voters office Tuesday evening at 8:40 p.m.

“We haven’t had a special election in 30 years or so,” said assistant registrar Jennifer Brunoli, who added she would have had to check to make sure of that, “but almost all municipal elections typically have a 30 percent voting percentage. This election had just under 11 percent, with 10.76 percent voting.”

The top vote getter, Dickau, a Democrat, will complete Howe’s term until municipal elections in November 2025. He joins five Republicans: Cheryl Thibeault of District 3; Jacqueline Olsen and Susan Tyler of District 2; and Erick Rosengren and Sebastian Panioto of District 1.

Dickau’s victory breaks a Republican hold on the council, with Republicans having won every council seat in the past two election cycles. Dickau ran unsuccessfully for a seat in District 3 in 2023.

Mazzarella is a first-time candidate for the Republicans.

Typically, there are three polling places in District 3–Bristol Eastern High School, Greene-Hills and Bristol Arts and Innovation Magnet School. This time around all voting took place at BAIMS.

In addition, this year early voting was held between July 24 and July 28.

For early voting totals, Dickau had 91 and Mazzarella, 75.

Absentee ballots showed Dickau with 65 and Mazzarella with 34.

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