EAST PROVIDENCE — In the inimitable words of "Queen" another one bites the dust, which isn't necessarily a good thing for residents of the city when it comes to elections in the 2024 cycle.

Two-term incumbent on the School Committee from Ward 2 Max Brandle did not submit paperwork with the minimum number of signatures required per state law by the Friday, July 12 deadline, meaning his name will neither appear on the September Primary not November General Election ballots.

After registering to run during the June 24-26 filing period, candidates seeking office this cycle needed to pick up nomination papers on July 2, which must then be signed by a certain amount of registered voters in their locations and depending on office sought — 50 for wards in School Committee and state rep districts, 100 for state senate districts and 200 for in-city At-Large.

Said papers then had to be returned to the East Providence and associated canvassing departments by July 12.

The signatures still must certified before their names will formally placed on a ballot.

Brandle, who signed up to run for another back in June, was expected to face a non-partisan General Election challenge from Tony DeSimas for the seat. DeSimas returned 112 well over the minimum signatures required 50.

In a statement issued to The Post and made public on social media Tuesday night, July 15, Brandle cited his recent graduation from college, the beginning pursuit of a career and his desire to purchase a home as among the reasons why he opted not to seek a third term.

His release also read in part, "I am very proud of what has been accomplished over the last 4 years by working with other dedicated committee members to move our school district in a positive direction. That is why it leaves me feeling bittersweet to announce I will not be seeking a third term to the East Providence school committee. While I would love to continue serving our school district for a third term, I have also taken the time to reflect on the need to balance serving the community with my other obligations."

The 23-year-old pulled one of the biggest upset in recent East Providence political history by upending then four-term Ward 2 incumbent Tony Ferreira at the 2020 election. He went unchallenged in 2022. Ferreira returned to electoral politics that same year, but ran for and won the then-vacant At-Large Committee spot also in 2022.

His statement concluded, "I look forward to serving the remainder of my term with the same passion I've had since the beginning. I remain confident that the individuals who will go on to serve on the next school committee will prioritize students above all else and work to leave our school district in a better place than they found it."

With Brandle's exit, only five of the 12 potential races involving either municipal or state office campaigns will be contested.

DeSimas now joins At-Large and Ward 3 School Committee members Ferreira (248 signatures) and David Luiz (63), respectively, running unopposed.

Two Committee seats have races. One-term Ward 1 incumbent Ryan Queenan is being challenged by the person he beat for the seat back in 2022, Charlie Tsonos, and five-term Ward 4 incumbent Jessica Beauchaine is being challenged by a one-time former holder of the seat, Chrissy Rossi.

As for East Providence's General Assembly seats, just three of the city's seven members on Smith Hill will face contested elections this fall and two of those will be decided at the September Primary.

Four-term incumbent Democrat Valerie Lawson, the Majority Whip in the upper chamber, is being primaried by former City Councilor and State Representative Brian Coogan for the District 14 State Senate seat. Lawson submitted 183 signatures and Coogan 128.

The other primary is for the Democratic nomination for the House District 64 seat being vacated by two-term incumbent Brianna Henries. Jenni Azanero Furtado submitted 75 signatures and Ashley Pereira 93 as they vie for the nomination later this summer.

The sole Assembly seat going to the November General is that of House District 66 where Democratic incumbent Jennifer Boylan (60 signatures) will face Republican Janine Wolf (80).

The other four of the city's Assembly spots will go uncontested.

One-term incumbent Senate Democrats Bob Britto (118 signatures) and Pam Lauria (140) will represent Districts 18 and 32, respectively, for another two-year term.

Katherine Kazarian (110) and Matt Dawson (77), like their Senate counterparts, are also running unopposed. Kazarian is the six-term incumbent Democrat from District 63 and, similar to Lawson, is Majority Whip in the lower chamber. Dawson is a Dem, who won the District 65 seat in 2022 vacated as another city resident, Gregg Amore, pursued and won the office of Secretary of State that fall.