NORWICH – With just 10 days left until voters head to the polls for the Republican primary elections, Norwich Mayor Joseph Maiurano is going front and center with a bid for re-election in hopes of gaining support for a fifth consecutive term.

This marks the first year the mayoral seat has been challenged in nearly a decade. Barring a close race between Maiurano and Democratic contender Michael Carnrike in 2007, Maiurano has been largely unopposed since first being appointed the position following the untimely death of the late Mayor Robert Raphael in 2006.

This year, however, Maiurano faces opposition from Christine Carnrike, a Republican hopeful who went public with her mayoral campaign back in April.

If re-elected, Maiurano said he intends to continue seeking ways of reducing expenses while increasing sources of revenue through commerce in the City of Norwich by working with partnering entities, including local business owners, the Norwich Business Improvement District, and Commerce Chenango.

“I think we are moving in the right direction, and we need to keep moving,” Maiurano said. “I’m very excited about what’s happening and the progress that we are making as a city.”