FRAMINGHAM — Seven months after it began, the campaign to lead Framingham’s new city government will reach its finale Tuesday.

Town Clerk Valerie Mulvey said as many as half of Framingham’s roughly 40,000 registered voters are expected to cast ballots in the community’s first city election. Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“We’re hoping for around 50 percent (turnout),” Mulvey said. “Our absentee voting has been pretty steady.”

In the marquee race for mayor, candidates Yvonne Spicer and John Stefanini planned dizzying schedules ahead of Tuesday’s vote. Both were set to attend the Framingham Rotary’s annual pancake breakfast at Keefe Regional Technical School on Saturday morning, followed by athletic events, meetings with campaign volunteers and stretches of canvassing and phone-banking on Sunday and Monday.

A slew of City Council and School Committee candidates also planned to get out the vote over the weekend. In all, 39 candidates qualified to appear on the ballot in either district or city-wide races.

From town to city

Tuesday’s contest follows a momentous decision in April to reform local government. By a margin of only 112 votes, residents adopted a new city charter, installing a strong mayor to lead the executive branch, and eliminating the position of town manager and the Board of Selectmen.

The charter also disbands Town Meeting, replacing it with an 11-member City Council. Beginning in January, nine councilors will represent single districts, and two at-large councilors will represent the entire community.

Voters will choose among former Town Manager George King, realtor Pablo Maia, Planning Board Chairwoman Christine Long and Selectmen Chairwoman Cheryl Tully Stoll in the at-large race.

Adding to the significance of Tuesday’s election, the School Committee will be overhauled in the new city government, growing from seven to nine members and featuring a new roster of board members.

Road to the election

More than 50 candidates pulled papers to run for office in the new city government. Seven made the ballot to run for mayor, offering diverse backgrounds for voters to consider.

Nearly all were newcomers to local politics, including former Framingham Police Officer Benjaman Neves-Grigg, lawyer Mark Tilden and a pair of millennials seeking office for the first time — Priscila Sousa and Joshua Horrigan. Progressive Dhruba Sen also made the ballot, using his platform to highlight issues of racial equity and social justice.

But it was Spicer, a vice president at the Museum of Science in Boston, who captured the spotlight in the Sept. 26 preliminary, finishing in first place with 54 percent of all votes. Stefanini also emerged as a clear frontrunner, securing the second spot on the ballot with 29 percent of votes.

In many ways, the pair were long the focus of the mayor’s race, which has divided some partisans of the charter fight into two camps. A host of city backers have lined up behind Stefanini, who helped author the new city charter, while many key opponents of the change are working on behalf of Spicer.

An episode in May also thrust the two into the spotlight. Stefanini was forced to issue a public apology after he was video recorded moving Spicer’s campaign literature behind a trash can at the Framingham Public Library. Spicer has capitalized on the unflattering incident, questioning her opponent’s integrity and directing voters to watch the video.

A divisive campaign

Neither candidate has pulled punches in the increasingly contentious race.

Stefanini, who called on Spicer to participate in five lengthy debates, whacked his opponent after the preliminary election for spurning invitations to public events held by the Rotary and the Framingham Business Association — a pro-business group of which Stefanini is a longtime member.

In the weeks that followed, Stefanini has characterized Spicer as less well-versed in local government and disengaged with the community, which she has called home for 32 years. His latest round of campaign mailings highlights Spicer’s spotty record of voting in local elections and less-than-perfect attendance at meetings of the Ways and Means Committee.

Spicer has portrayed Stefanini as untrustworthy and beholden to special interests, labeling him in one campaign mailing as an “old-school politician.” Her campaign has also repeatedly highlighted the library incident, casting Stefanini as "someone we can't trust when nobody is watching."

The candidates also took shots at one another during their final debate Oct. 28. Stefanini, a former selectman and state representative, said he was “stunned” to learn that Spicer oversees a budget of only roughly $350,000 in her position at the Museum of Science. “We need and deserve more,” he said. “Framingham needs a qualified and proven leader.”

Spicer tried to poke holes in the accomplishments Stefanini has touted during the campaign, saying they were the work of groups and not individual achievements. “Old politics and old politicians will not do,” she said. “I am transparent, honest and trustworthy. You can count on me to be inclusive, work collaboratively, and to ensure that the people’s voice is heard in this community.”

On the issues

On the issues, there were seemingly few major disagreements between the two candidates, though they offered different remedies for persistent challenges.

Both have discussed the need to turn around underperforming schools, revitalize Framingham's downtown, redevelop blighted shopping plazas and strengthen community policing. At a forum in September, the candidates agreed that Framingham should resist calls to become a sanctuary city, saying the community should establish other means to help immigrants.

Early in the campaign, Stefanini called for a six-month moratorium on apartment developments and pledged to establish a universal early childhood education program to address disparities at Framingham’s elementary schools. He has also highlighted the importance of small businesses, saying they are crucial to growing the city’s tax base.

Spicer also backed some form of a moratorium on housing development, and unveiled a lengthy platform, touching on the town’s transition to a city form of government and its schools, economy and quality of life. It emphasizes the importance of transparency, and calls for the creation of neighborhood associations, a 311 hotline and the hiring of a director of neighborhood services.

During their final public meeting Thursday at Ken’s Steakhouse, both candidates underscored their commitment to boosting economic growth.

Stefanini said Framingham’s first mayor will also set the tone and direction for the city for the next decade.

“I’m prepared to put my passion for our community, my knowledge of its people and its institutions, my work in and outside of government, to do the tough details that are necessary to put the rhetoric into reality,” he said, “and to make our community a better place for all of us to live, to learn, to work, to play.”

Spicer said she will use her talents and skills to improve the community and ensure people feel they have a seat at the table under her administration.

“We’ll do this together, Framingham,” she said. “One day, one step at a time. I’m coming to you with honesty and integrity, and I humbly ask for your vote ... next Tuesday.”

Jim Haddadin can be reached at 617-863-7144 or jhaddadin@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter: @JimHaddadin