WALTHAM, MA — There's an election in less than a week, in which Waltham voters will head to the polls Nov. 5 to choose whether Mayor Jeannette McCarthy, who became mayor in 2004, will keep her role as mayor and become the longest serving mayor in Waltham's recent history or if Councilor Diane LeBlanc will take over.

Tuesday night the two went toe to toe in a debate moderated by the League of Women Voters. The two have different leading styles and positions and both have fierce proponents as is evidenced by the loud applause for both at the beginning of the evening. Though, neither are without their critics.



But how do they distinguish themselves from one another? During her opening statements and in her Patch profile, LeBlanc said it has taken too long to get major capital projects underway.

LeBlanc told Patch she thought McCarthy should have addressed the need for a new high school, police headquarters and Moody Street fire station "long ago." McCarthy, meanwhile, said in her opening statement she still had unfinished work to see through, ticking off the rail trail, the reuse of the Fernald property, the acquisition of the UMass land, the 128 traffic plan and the building of the high school and educational plan.

In her Patch profile she challenged her opponent's integrity.

"The key difference between myself and other candidates is that I cannot and will not do anything for votes," said McCarthy in a Patch profile. "Every day I make decisions solely for the people of Waltham, and not to benefit me politically or personally. Developers and their representatives know that the City is not for sale while I am Mayor."