Tyer: Preliminary Shows Pittsfield Wants Change

City clerk Linda Tyer finished first in Tuesday’s preliminary election for mayor of Pittsfield, defeating incumbent Mayor Dan Bianchi and two other challengers. Tyer, who carried 55 percent of the vote to Bianchi’s 39, is hoping to unseat Bianchi in November’s general election. Bianchi brushed off the results as a consequence of low voter turnout, but Tyer says she’s confident she will win the race for Pittsfield’s first four-year mayoral term after recent charter reform. Candidates Donna Walto and Craig Gaetani were eliminated from the race.