The longest-tenured mayor in western Massachusetts has won another term.
Already the longest-serving mayor in Springfield’s history, Domenic Sarno was re-elected Tuesday to four more years, defeating five-term City Councilor Justin Hurst and capping the most competitive mayoral election the city has seen in more than a decade.
“I am humbled and honored,” Sarno said. “I love this job. I live it 24-7. I am just very-very happy that we are going to continue to move forward.”
Speaking at his campaign headquarters, Sarno credited his re-election victory to an army of volunteers who did grassroots campaigning including stand-outs, door-knocking, and phone banking. His campaign also spent heavily on television and other media advertising at a pace that his opponent was unable to match.
Final unofficial vote counts show Sarno defeated Hurst 57 percent to 42 percent, or a margin of 3,000 votes. Turnout was 19 percent, which exceeded expectations and was the highest for a municipal election in Springfield in recent memory.
Sarno, who was first elected in 2007 when he upset the popular incumbent Charlie Ryan and has now been re-elected five times (the mayoral term in Springfield changed from two-years to four-years in 2012), was asked if this election victory was his most satisfying.
“It ranks right up there,” he said. “Its was a very solid victory and I’m going to continue to build on the momentum.”
The contest between the two political heavyweights was bitter at times, especially at the end. There were allegations the challenger’s campaign paid homeless people in exchange for their votes. Hurst vehemently denied it and accused Sarno of orchestrating a smear effort.
At his election night watch party, Hurst conceded the election to Sarno and insisted he was not disappointed.
“We did very well and everybody ought to be proud,” Hurst said. “We motivated a lot of people to come out and scared the s*** out of the mayor.”
Hurst, whose wife Denise is an elected member of the Springfield School Committee and whose parents are prominent members of the community, vowed to remain active in civic affairs.
Asked about his plans for the next four years, Sarno said he wants to build more new schools, complete job-producing economic development projects, and persuade the state to build a new courthouse in Springfield.
“Housing is going to be very-very important,” Sarno said.
Elsewhere in western Massachusetts Tuesday, incumbent mayors cruised to re-election victories in Chicopee and Westfield.
In Greenfield, Mayor Roxanne Wedegartner is out after one four-term term. City Councilor Virginia DeSorgher won the mayoral election in a landslide with 73 percent of the vote.
