Fall River Re-Elects Coogan

FALL RIVER — Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan will remain in the job, as the city’s unofficial vote tally shows him defeating challenger and current City Council President Cliff Ponte in today’s election.

Fall River voters went for the current mayor by 2,700 votes to Ponte’s 1,856, or a full 58% of the 4,633 ballots cast.

Coogan will be starting his second term as mayor.

In January he replaced disgraced former mayor Jasiel Correia, who was sentenced last month to six years in prison on corruption charges.

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Although not all of the votes had been counted, as of 9 p.m. Tuesday, Ponte has already conceded the race.

Even before the race began in earnest, Coogan and Ponte have often been at odds, butting heads over the city budget this summer as well as over the marijuana license application process.

Ponte drew some criticisms during the campaign after an internal memo to employees at his real estate company circulated in which Ponte called the mayor’s position “ceremonial.”

Coogan’s wife and former Olympian Judi St. Hilaire also made headlines this week when she was hospitalized in a bicycle crash involving a car on Sunday.

She remains in stable condition in the intensive care unit, according to an update from Coogan yesterday.