Gitschier elected Lowell Mayor in contested second ballot
Lowell's City Council inaugurates new members amid contested elections for Mayor and Vice Chair. Councilor Gitschier was elected Mayor on a second ballot with six votes over Councilor Rourke after the first ballot produced no majority, with Gitschier and Nuon each receiving three votes and Rourke
City Council · Meeting of January 5, 2026
Lowell's City Council inaugurates new members amid contested elections for Mayor and Vice Chair. Councilor Gitschier was elected Mayor on a second ballot with six votes over Councilor Rourke after the first ballot produced no majority, with Gitschier and Nuon each receiving three votes and Rourke receiving five. Councilor Nuon was elected Vice Chair with six votes over Councilor Descoteaux on the first ballot.
The eleven-member body, including newly sworn members Belinda Juran, Sidney Liang, and Sean McDonough, voted unanimously to adopt rules for the 2026-2027 term.
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Source: the City Council meeting of January 5, 2026, compiled from the official minutes.
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