Voters are going to the polls today for municipal elections in Massachusetts.
Voter turnout was said to be very light through the middle of the day in Springfield, where there are elections for City Council and School Committee, but not for mayor as it is the midway point in the four-year term of the city’s chief executive.
Before going to vote at the polling place at the Rebecca Johnson School in Mason Square, Amy Jackson said an issue she cares about most is making her neighborhood safer for pedestrians by fixing sidewalks, painting crosswalks, and cracking down on speeding drivers.
“Having a neighborhood that our children can feel safe in, that they can play in, that they can walk to our neighborhood stores,” she said.
After voting, John Skrabely said he wants to see a diverse city government.
“Not all the same people, get some new blood,” he said.
All five at-large City Councilors are running for new terms and there are five challengers on the ballot.
At-large Councilor Jesse Lederman said seeing Springfield have a “strong and equitable” recovery from the pandemic is his top priority as he seeks re-election to a third term.
“We know the pandemic has laid bare many of the inequities we have seen in our communities for decades and now we are in a very unique position with the unprecedented level of federal money that is coming to do something about it,” Lederman said.
The other incumbents seeking re-election at-large are Sean Curran, Justin Hurst, Kateri Walsh, and Trayce Whitfield.
One of the challengers in the field for Councilor-at-large Debra Fletcher said economic development, public safety, and small businesses are her priorities.
“We have all that ARPA ( American Rescue Plan Act) money we can spread out to people who did not receive it the last time and build our community with unity, prosperity for all and equal opportunities. That is how we move forward,” Fletcher said.
The other challengers for at-large Councilor are Juan Caraballo, Mike Lee, Juan Latorre, and James Ryan.
There are election contests for Council seats in half of the city’s eight wards. In Ward 4 it is a rematch from two years ago when Malo Brown defeated Jynai McDonald to win for the first time. It was a strange inaugural term for Brown with all Council meetings conducted remotely since March 2020.
“It makes it easier to go to a lot of the meetings,” Brown said. “I was even able to go to a City Council meeting while I was on my honeymoon.”
McDonald is a community organizer who says she’s had a positive response as she’s campaigned door-to-door.
“People want a direct line of access to their city government and that is what I’ve been able to offer them even without being elected,” McDonald said.
In Ward 3, incumbent City Councilor Melvin Edwards is being challenged by Leslie Braxton-Campbell. City Councilor Victor Davila is opposed for re-election in Ward 6 by Bob Callamore.
The incumbent Councilor in Ward 8, Orlando Ramos, who is also a state legislator, is not running for another term on the council. Competing for the seat are Zaida Govan and Lisa Thompson.
