Third-year Boston College Law School student Samanthan Perlman won the preliminary mayoral election for Marlborough, Mass. on Tuesday night, advancing her and fellow candidate Christian Dumais to the general election on Nov. 7.
“This speaks to how much support we have in the community, which I’m really proud of,” Perlman said.
The ballot for Tuesday’s preliminary election included four candidates: Perlman, Dumais, Patrick Hogan, and Michael Baker. Perlman earned the most votes by a margin of 15.6 percent.
Perlman received 1,766 votes, Dumais received 1,491, Hogan received 1,409, and Baker received 148.
Of all the candidates, Perlman was the youngest and only woman, but she was also the only one elected to citywide office before. She joined the Marlborough Cultural Council in 2018 before making history in 2019 as the Marlboroughs youngest-ever woman elected citywide.
“Being the only woman on the ballot and only city councilor, and certainly the youngest, you know, it was a strong showing that folks like me are our next mayor in the future and the present,” she said.
Perlman said she spent the day of the preliminary election knocking on doors, making calls, reminding people to vote, holding signs at the polls, and, of course, voting herself.
“I was on a lot of coffee and not a lot of sleep and was just really energized by the number of volunteers we had and the level of support,” she said.
According to Perlman, voter turnout in Tuesday’s preliminary election was nearly double what her team anticipated.
“Our large engagement with residents across the entire community, many of whom have never voted before or, you know, have felt left out of the political process, their turnout really helped increase the voter total overall,” she said
Perlman plans to graduate from BC Law this December, finishing her required credits a semester earlier than the traditional three years. Alongside her J.D., she is pursuing a dual master’s degree in urban and environmental policy and planning from Tufts University.
While others may argue that her age makes her the less experienced or qualified candidate for mayor of Marlborough, Perlman said the turnout and success of Tuesday’s election prove the community feels otherwise.
“Our message and experience really resonate with voters,” Perlman said.
