Allan Appel Photo
Santiago & Bauer in Fair Haven.
As would-be aldermen made the final scramble in hard-fought primaries across town Tuesday, some opponents were finding it easy to occupy amicable ground at the polls.
At the Atwater Senior Center, the polling place for Fair Haven’s Ward 14, incumbent Stephanie Bauer and challenger Gabe Santiago abandoned the customary practice of seizing 50 feet of opposing territory on either side of the path to the polls in order to corral voters.
Instead they set up signs and even their folding chairs beside each other.
Paul Bass Photo
The same occurred outside Edgewood School Tuesday morning, where party-backed aldermanic candidate Mike Slattery (at right) and union-backed challenger Adam Marchand greeted Ward 25 voters on their way inside to cast ballots.
Those were two of 16 Democratic primary contests for alderman Tuesday.
What you see, said Fair Haven’s Bauer, a one-term incumbent, is “two mature teams that are trying to be respectful.”
Opponent Santiago said of Bauer: “My mom knows her from the bank. She’s a great woman. She works hard.”
Bauer returned the compliment. “I think it’s great that a young man wants to be involved.”
The candidates both said they want more programs for “youth.” Bauer said if she stays in office, she’ll work for more money for Youth at Work and help to see that predecessor Erin Sturgis-Pascale’s Complete Streets agenda is fulfilled, particularly the Safe Routes to School project near the Fair Haven School.
“Whoever wins deserves it,” said Santiago. He added that even if he loses, “I’ll be out there, attending meetings.”
“If I win,” Bauer said, “I’ll drag Gabe in.”