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With New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell, shrewdly maneuvering one’s way around political problems seems to be a way of life.
The latest example of Mitchell’s quick adaptability comes in the wake of the concern among local Democrats that the mayor had not made public Election Commissioner Donald Gaudette Jr.’s political party switch last year from Democrat to Republican.
Gaudette, who formally changed his affiliation online on Sept. 23, 2025, has now resigned.
Gaudette resigned the day after my New Bedford Light column outlined how he had switched his registration from Democrat to Republican just three months after he had been sworn into another term on the four-member commission representing the Democrats. State law normally requires members of the commission to be equally divided between Democrats and Republicans.
Mitchell had not informed either the City Council or the Democratic City Committee when the switch happened last September, and later argued that since state law did not require Gaudette to resign, there was no reason to let the two groups know.
It appears, however, that after the column, which cited the Democratic City Committee asking for Gaudette’s resignation, the mayor put Gaudette under some pressure. He informed him that there would have to be “a hearing” on his switch even though the City Committee had not expressly asked for that.
“Although not referenced in the letter, I nevertheless have interpreted the letter to constitute a written “complaint” under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 51 Section 16A that Mr. Gaudette had ceased to act with the political party he was appointed to represent on the commission,” Mitchell wrote to Democratic City Committee Chair Lisa Lemieux.
He informed Lemieux that such a complaint “triggers” the city’s obligation to conduct a hearing, and that when informed there would be a hearing Gaudette resigned effective immediately.
Unlike when Gaudette switched parties, Mitchell informed both the City Council and the Democratic City Committee of the resignation. At my request, the City Council provided a copy of Gaudette’s Feb. 11 resignation email, which does not reference any reason.
The letter from the Democratic City Committee, which was signed only with the committee’s name, appealed to the mayor on the basis of the public’s confidence in the electoral process in New Bedford.
“When the balance of the commission is disrupted in this manner, it undermines the spirit of fairness the statute was designed to protect,” the letter said.
The letter stated that upon Gaudette’s resignation, the committee was ready to supply the mayor with a list of registered Democrats ready to serve on the commission who have demonstrated a strong commitment to public service and the integrity of the electoral process. The individuals are “prepared to serve with professionalism and respect for the responsibilities of the Election Commission.”
Mitchell’s letter back to the commission made no guarantees he would choose one of the people his party recommended. He wrote, “Although state law requires only that the nominee is a Democrat, I would be pleased to consider your suggestions.”
That is so Jon Mitchell. Even when he has been caught making a mistake that goes to the heart of people’s confidence in elections, and this during a tumultuous time in American history, he is not ready to acknowledge it.
Never mind make unqualified amends with the most active Democrats in the city.
Mitchell has taken pains in his communication on this controversy to point out that he has never seen Gaudette take any actions that would indicate partisan matters have influenced his conduct on the Election Commission.
That may have been historically true, but it certainly was not true when Gaudette changed his party registration to Republican knowing he had been appointed as a Democrat. And it certainly was not true when Gaudette refused to answer my question about whether he has been a supporter of President Trump, as two sources have told me he is.
Trump, of course, has long questioned the American electoral process though he has lost the overwhelming number of challenges he has made to the process in court.
Mitchell in his letter to the Democratic City Committee went so far as to blame the people complaining about the commission being unbalanced as those who are responsible for hyperpartisanship.
“I also believe that imploring a widely respected resident to resign because he has switched parties — which has become an increasingly common occurrence in our region — would itself stir up allegations about the commission’s impartiality.”
Great. So a person on the commission to represent Democrats becoming a Republican is not the problem, but the people who are publicly concerned about it is.
Lemieux met with Mitchell Tuesday and she said he had asked her to alert him in the future about inquiries like mine. Lemieux said she told him “That works both ways,” referring to the fact Mitchell had never alerted the Democratic City Committee of Gaudette’s party change.
Some have maintained to me that this is much ado about nothing. They claim the Election Commission has no real power. I think they are wrong.
It would only take one close and disputed election to do real damage to the electoral process in New Bedford. And according to state law, it is the election commissions that run elections, not the mayor or City Council.
There are also indications Mitchell, by not filling vacant appointments, is trying to control the commission.
City councilors on both sides of the political aisle have long been concerned that the mayor holds off on reappointing department heads and board members, including the Election Commission, long after their terms of office have expired. It is now two years since the four-year term of current Election Commission Chair Manny DeBrito expired. Holding off on reappointment gives the mayor the ability to replace him at any time but the council has no input.
“I think he’s circumventing the spirit of the law,” City Council President Ryan Pereira said.
Although there have been complaints about minor problems in the New Bedford electoral process on local talk radio, Pereira said he believes most people have confidence in it, but that that confidence needs to continue.
“How do we maintain that? By making sure our board’s balanced,” Pereira said.
Jack Spillane is a news and opinion columnist for The New Bedford Light. Email Jack Spillane at jspillane@newbedfordlight.org.
Thank you Mr. Gaudette for your service to our city and best wishes in the future. Like so many others you can’t blame him for making the choice to leave a Democrat party that once represented so many of our friends and families but now has let there policies and values change so dramatically. I am sure in the future there will be more of this to come.
Yes, Jeff, but a public official has the obligation to make a change in party affiliation public. It could have avoided all this.
He was a Democrat for decades, he changes party, and the knives come out. What is wrong with you? Wish him well. Go after the mayor, it’s his mess, tell him to get his act together. But you won’t because he far left liberal. Save your responses you have lost all credibility.
A true Conservative would have resigned before switching parties.
The Democrat policies and values have not changed.
I am sorry but you’re so wrong, the party has moved so far to the left, that more and more people are leaving in favor of more middle of the road representation.
Yes they have! So Democrats suddenly think violence is ok as long as it’s directed at the right?? The Democratic party is a joke currently. The straight lies and corruption is over the moon. No one with morals agrees with attacking federal agents that are trying to get PEDs, murderers, rapists and other sick criminals out of our country.
Our thanks to Mr. Spillane, the New Bedford Light, and the Democratic City Committee for helping to restore balance to our New Bedford Election Commission.
Thank God somebody is keeping us aware. Now Jack has to concentrate on the school dept.
Boy, you cant win with Jack,
you’re either too republican or not democrat enough…gosh Jack. Maybe you should stand in the square and be judged for your affiliations. How would you like it?
He reported the facts. Don’t like it, don’t read it.
The point is not a person’s party affiliation, but the lack of public notice about the change.
If the point of this article was not about a person’s party affiliation, both you and Jack would have thanked Mr. Gaudette for his service and being a part of the Democrat Party for so many years. Everyone knows that the Light and their supporters are not fair and balanced and this article and your responses are a great example. Give us all a break already, no one is buying it.
You are exactly correct. The Dems are like little children that pout when they don’t get things their way. All about hating Trump because he exposed the non profits that have been sucking up tax payer funds to pay THEMSELVES!!
It sounds like shenanigans to me. Gaudette must have been contemplating changing affiliations long before he was appointed, and the mayor may have known too. The mayor’s reasoning for not notifying the council of Goydett’s chameleon transformation, is suspect.
The mayor or someone on his staff could have taken three minutes to skim Gaudette’s facebook page and see that despite his Democratic registration he’s been full blown MAGA going back at least to 2020 and never should have been reappointed.
Your energies would be better spend twisting the Mayor’s arm to fill these vacancies, STOP the backbiting, It helps NOBODY !!!!!!!!!!!
Balanced is balanced, no one is back biting, it’s following the law!
This isn’t a hard concept to understand. The PUBLIC ELECTION COMMISSION is supposed to be 50/50, not 100/0, 75/25, 25/75 etc. If Gaudette wants to be a Republican great! More power to him but that means he can’t serve on the Commission. Not rocket science here folks.
Agree! Well said!
Thank you to the Light and Jack Spillane for exposing this hidden attempt to skew the Commission.
What would the effect have been, had he changed his affiliation from Democrat to “nonpartisan”?
Not familiar with the law. Does the law specify “Democrat” and “Republican”, not anticipating that other political parties do exist?
If he had changed his political affiliation to socialist or libertarian, or Whig for that matter?
Or if he had kept his Democratic affiliation, but voted as Republican as he chose, showed up at Republican rallies, but kept his Democratic affiliation on paper?
Does the law set standards on how loyal one is, to the party declared on paper?
It seems all this came from the Bousquet story. When people saw he was an election denier who never saw a meme he didn’t believe. It seems harmless online but when these easily duped people have authority over our right to cast a ballot, we should all be concerned.
Just stop the nonsense, we are talking about New Bedford where elections barely ever crack 15% of it’s registered voters. New Bedford voters don’t care, look who they elect, and it’s for damn sure they don’t read the Light. Sorry if the truth hurts.
There are guidelines and laws that have to be adhered to for any election Commissioner . So what does it matter if a Commissioner is a Republican or a Democrat? I’m a independent that means that I can’t be an election Commissioner? The majority of registered voters are neither Democrat or Republican stop this foolish unrealistic woke agenda. SHAMEFUL
I think it’s ironic Henry considering that you support a convicted felon and a rapist and you don’t think that the 2020 election was valid.