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Serre, Maffuccio will face off in November general election for Pittsfield’s Ward 7 council seat

Anthony Maffuccio and Rhonda Serre.
Josh Landes
/
WAMC
Anthony Maffuccio and Rhonda Serre.

Voters chose two of three candidates running for the Ward 7 seat on the Pittsfield, Massachusetts city council in Tuesday’s preliminary election.

The Ward 7 race saw incumbent Anthony Maffuccio running to defend his seat against Rhonda Serre and Jonathan Morey.

Serre placed first in the contest, with 325 of the 596 votes cast — roughly 55% of the total. WAMC caught up with her at mayoral candidate and city council president Peter Marchetti’s election night party at the Polish Falcons Club.

“Ward 7, I would like to say thank you very much to all of those that did get out this evening," said Serre. "It's hard to remember to go out in the middle of September. But I'm really hoping we can all charge on to November together, and really see if we can get the ward to have, the Ward 7 is- Here's my challenge to the ward: Ward 7 has never really been a major turnout compared to some of the other wards in the city. And I would like to turn that around. I would like to see Ward 7 stand up and say no, we're here too.”

WAMC asked Serre what she thinks resonated with voters.

“I think people are just ready for somebody that wants to work," she answered. "And hopefully I showed them that I am the one that will do that.”

While Serre cruised in 7B with 248 votes to Maffuccio’s 122 and Morey’s 33, it was a much tighter margin in 7A, where she prevailed with 77 votes to Maffuccio’s 72 and Morey’s 25. She told WAMC that she would focus her efforts there in the weeks before the November 7th general.

“Regroup, and all hands on deck, and just hopefully get conversations going and get a lot more people answering the phones, talking on the phone, knocking on doors, telling me what they want, what they don't want, what's going good in their ward and what they want to see improved,” Serre told WAMC.

Maffuccio’s bid for a third two-year term since his return to municipal politics saw him capture 194 votes, or around 33% of the total. He says Morey – who was eliminated after only securing 58 votes – has already pledged his support in the general.

“I think with the low voter turnout, that's what happens," said the incumbent. "I think if there was a larger percentile of people voting that took the time to do it, it would be closer or if not different. So basically, the only thing I'm going to be doing is talking to my constituents in 7B.”

Just under 15% of Ward 7’s 4,092 voters turned out on Tuesday, just below the citywide 16% turnout.

The incumbent, who went unchallenged in 2021’s election, says he’ll frame his pitch around the yet-unfinished infrastructure projects in Ward 7.

“This year, we were supposed to replace the water line and repave King Street, which has been a long overdue process. Then I have the Peck’s Road bridge that’s finally going to be breaking ground here in springtime. Then we have the culverts being replaced out at Dan Casey Drive, but there are some issues, technical issues there with the state. So, they're focusing more on the Hancock Road bridge replacement for next year. You’ve got the revitalization of Wahconah Park, which is happening," said Maffuccio. "So, Josh, there are a lot of big things happening in Ward 7, and I feel that I should be able to stay there and oversee those projects. But if the voters vote me out, thank you for the 10 years that I was honored to serve you, and I'll go on with my personal life.”

Serre and Maffuccio are united in their support of Marchetti in the race for mayor against former city councilor John Krol. Marchetti placed first in the preliminary with around 2,300 votes to Krol’s roughly 1,800. A third candidate, at-large city councilor Karen Kalinowsky, was eliminated with around 740 votes.

“I know him through his career and respect him as a leader in the office place and an administrator," said Serre. "I've always respected him as a politician, and always thought that he was the most open minded and fair decision maker who's not somebody that rushes in or follows the crowd, he really takes the time to learn the issue and be very thoughtful in his decision making.”

“What he's done in the community over the last two, three decades- I think the experience is there," said Maffuccio. "I think the people have spoken loud and clear that they want Peter Marchetti. I mean, with a low voter turnout- Could it change? Anything is possible, Josh, anything.”

In the Ward 2 preliminary vote, candidates Brittany Bandani and Alexander Blumin will continue on to November.

Josh Landes has been WAMC's Berkshire Bureau Chief since February 2018, following stints at WBGO Newark and WFMU East Orange. A passionate advocate for Western Massachusetts, Landes was raised in Pittsfield and attended Hampshire College in Amherst, receiving his bachelor's in Ethnomusicology and Radio Production. His free time is spent with his cat Harry, experimental electronic music, and exploring the woods.
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