Two contested primaries in Hampden County, Massachusetts Tuesday ended with voters picking the incumbents. But one race was a squeaker.
In what was billed as two of the more competitive contests in western Massachusetts, the incumbents in both the Democratic 11th Hampden House and Hampden Senate primaries came out on top.
State Senator Adam Gomez secured 70 percent of the vote as he batted down a challenge from Springfield Ward 4 City Councilor Malo Brown.
In the House race, Representative Bud Williams fended off challenger Johnnie Ray McKnight, though in a far closer contest – winning by around 240 votes.
Nearly all of the candidates watched the results come in at spots in downtown Springfield. Gomez declared victory about 40 minutes after polls closed.
“I want to thank my community, which is all of us, no matter what part of the district we live, our community that stood up and came together and unified - no matter color, creed, background, faith, how you want to identify - and made sure that this campaign, from the very beginning, was going to be victorious,” Gomez said during his victory speech at Las Kangris restaurant on Main Street.
Previously a Springfield City Councilor, Gomez beat former State Senator Jim Welch in a 2020 primary to represent the Hampden district.
Collecting committee assignments on Beacon Hill ever since, including as chair of the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy, Gomez has said with the election over, his focuses include the state’s stalled economic development bill as well as promoting Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign.
Gomez was a delegate for Massachusetts at this year’s DNC.
Down the street, his opponent, Malo Brown, said he was grateful for the support he received on the campaign trail.
Serving as both a Springfield city councilor and as a member of Rep. Williams’s staff, he told WAMC that at the end of the day, the experience will only lend itself to his current work.
“I don't think this particular election really excites people - I think they really look forward to the November election - but … this type of election really does affect people, so it is important to get out,” he said at his election results watch party at the Noir Bar on Worthington Street. “I want to thank all pf the constituents and people who've supported me, and just let them know that, I'm even stronger now.”
Williams was also with Brown election night.
Beating his opponent 53-46 percent, he said he was feeling good after declaring victory, noting “the people have spoken” and that they “believed in what” he stands for.
Also a former city councilor, Williams assumed office in 2017. In the legislature, his assignments include chairing the Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion. He is also chair of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Caucus.
Asked about priorities for his next term, like Gomez, Williams pointed to the economic development bill. Both the House and Senate passed their own versions of the multi-billion dollar bill that collapsed during the end of formal session in July. Both versions packed hundreds of millions of dollars for MassWorks grants for local projects, among other items.
Williams says western Mass stands to benefit from the bill, including a large community health center that’s being developed in Springfield.
“The top priority, one of the top priorities, is making sure that the economic bond bill is done,” he said. “There's a lot of things in there that's going to benefit Western Massachusetts, and it's very important. For example, there's money for the new Baystate facility … over on the campus of MassMutual - that's important.”
He added that legislation dealing with climate control as well as pharmaceuticals and prescription drug costs were also at the top of the list.
As for his opponent, Johnnie Ray McKnight – the educator says for now, while this chapter has come to a close, the “fight for a better community is far from over.”
McKnight issued a statement on Facebook Wednesday morning while declining to speak with reporters.
