A political rematch between two old adversaries. A gender and class battle in a well-to-do suburb. A fight over sanctuary for immigrants.

For election night drama, look beyond Boston to these five cities that are hosting mayoral elections of their own: Lawrence, Newton, Salem, Lynn, and Framingham. Here’s a guide to what to watch for Tuesday as the results come in.

LAWRENCE

Will Willie Lantigua make a comeback? In 2013, Daniel Rivera managed to eke out a win over the embattled incumbent by 81 votes and become mayor.

Now Rivera faces a rematch with Lantigua, whose tenure was marred by accusations of corruption against his political allies and state control of the city’s schools.

Lawrence is one of the poorest cities in Massachusetts, with nearly 23,000 of its roughly 80,200 residents living below the poverty line, according to US Census Bureau estimates. And the city’s school system was taken over by the state in 2011.

Lantigua, a former state representative, lost a 2014 bid to return to the House, and spent two years in his native Dominican Republic before running again for the mayor’s office. One of his former City Hall aides was convicted on bribery, conspiracy, and other charges. Lantigua himself was never indicted.

Rivera has faced his own difficulties as mayor, including a rise in violence in 2017 in Lawrence. The city has had seven murders as of Sept. 30, according to police data, up from two during the first nine months of 2016.

NEWTON

With one political ad, a sleepy race between two longtime city councilors became a referendum on gender roles and socioeconomic class. So, who will it be: Scott Lennon or Ruthanne Fuller?

Fuller, 59, is a management consultant from Chestnut Hill who has worked on local boards and as a councilor at large for several years.

Lennon, 47, who lives in the more blue-collar village of Nonantum, is City Council president and works as assistant budget director at the Middlesex sheriff’s office.

They share similar views on Newton’s need to create more affordable housing, cultivate local business, and fix its roads. But the race got a lot more interesting after Lennon published an ad that Fuller said undervalued a woman’s work experience.

But the real issue in Newton? Many say it’s a controversial question on the ballot to eliminate local ward elections for city councilors, and shrink the City Council from 24 to 12 members. Under the proposed new city charter, all 12 councilors would be elected by citywide vote.

Salem

The national debate over immigration is playing out in Salem, where voters will decide the fate of a sanctuary city ordinance as well as cast ballots for mayor.

The ordinance had been approved by Salem’s City Council in April, but after the council failed to act on a citizen’s petition to repeal it, the question was put on Tuesday’s ballot.

The issue divides the two candidates — Mayor Kim Driscoll and her challenger, former ward 6 city councilor Paul Prevey.

“Salem is a welcoming place. I have no problem standing up for that and embodying that in a local law,’’ said Driscoll, 51, who is seeking a fourth term.

Prevey, 50, said the sanctuary city debate is part of why he’s challenging Driscoll.

“We are getting off track for what we should be doing as a city. We should be providing services to residents,’’ said Prevey, a retired federal probation officer. “I don’t feel we need the label ‘sanctuary city.’ We treat everyone in the city equally.’’

The ordinance reaffirms existing Salem policy that city resources are available to all and that local police or other municipal employees will not require immigrants seeking assistance to prove they are in the United States legally.

LYNN

Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy, who raised controversy by blaming immigrant children for draining city resources in 2014, is now fighting off a challenge from state Senator Thomas M. McGee.

McGee, 61, a lifelong Lynn resident, has supported more affordable housing for Lynn and wants to link the local transit system to the rest of the North Shore. He also advocates economic development along the city’s waterfront and investment in road repair.

McGee said he is spending the last few days of the race knocking on doors and trying to win over any remaining undecided voters. “It’s full speed ahead until the polls close on Tuesday,’’ he said.

Kennedy could not be reached for comment.

Kennedy, who has been in office since 2009, sparked controversy when she told Fox 25 in a 2014 interview that city schools and health department were “overwhelmed’’ by the cost of immigrant children from Central America.

About 30,000 of the city’s roughly 92,000 residents were born in another country, according to US Census estimates, and about half speak a language other than English at home.

FRAMINGHAM

History will be made in Framingham on Tuesday when local voters elect their first mayor and City Council, after residents decided in April to turn their sprawling town into a city.

Mayoral candidates Yvonne Spicer and John Stefanini both said their priorities include economic development along with protecting open space, and improving four underperforming public schools.

Stefanini, 53, has worked for the past 17 years as a private attorney and as an instructor at Suffolk University Law School. Before that, he served five terms as a state representative and two terms as a Framingham selectman.

He said Framingham’s current policies are hostile to local business owners.

“We need to acknowledge everyone needs a seat at the table if we want to revitalize our commercial centers,’’ he said.

Spicer, 55, is a Town Meeting member and vice president of advocacy and educational partnerships for the National Center for Technological Literacy at the Museum of Science. She has also worked as a teacher and administrator in Framingham’s public schools, and as an administrator in Newton’s school system.

Spicer said Framingham’s local government hasn’t reflected the diversity in its population, and that needs to change.

“This is our greatest opportunity to be more inclusive... to have multiple voices in city government,’’ Spicer said.

John Hilliard can be reached at john.hilliard@globe.com.