Fall River administrator announces write-in campaign for mayor

Surrounded by supporters, Fall River City Administrator Cathy Ann Viveiros announced she would wage a write-in campaign for mayor, just one day after indicted Mayor Jasiel Correia took a paid leave of absence and suspended his campaign. Photo by Steve Klamkin WPRO News

By Steve Klamkin WPRO News

One day after Fall River’s embattled mayor took a leave of absence and suspended his re-election campaign, the woman who served as Jasiel Correia’s city administrator, Cathy Ann Viveiros Wednesday announced she will wage a write-in bid for mayor in the final three weeks of the campaign.

Viveiros, a former city councilor and five-time candidate for mayor announced her campaign with Government Center serving as a backdrop, and said she fears the progress made under Correia, who was indicted for personal and political corruption, would be reversed.

“I think that a lot of the accomplishments that we’ve made over the last six years, four of these years was under mayor Correia, and he clearly provided the direction that I think was very helpful to us in making the gains that we’ve accomplished,” Viveiros said.

Viveiros denied her candidacy constitutes a “stalking horse” for Correia, who’s name will still appear on the November 5 ballot along with Paul Coogan, the school committeeman who bested Correia in the September 17 preliminary election by a three-to-one margin.

Correia was charged in 2018 with using proceeds from investors in his business for personal use. He was additionally charged September 6 with extortion and bribery, for allegedly extorting money from marijuana vendors, and shaking down his former chief of staff for a portion of her salary. He has denied the charges.

Tuesday, Correia announced he would take a leave from his mayor’s post, while continuing to collect his salary, and would suspend his political campaign.

 

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