The two candidates in the race for the 1st Berkshire District state representative seat in this year’s Democratic primary will meet for a forum this month. The contest pits a political veteran against a relative newcomer looking to take state office for the first time.
In 2023, Andrew Fitch burst onto the Northern Berkshire political scene by becoming the top vote getter in that year’s North Adams city council race. Over 1,400 ballots were cast for the small business owner, outpacing a slate of incumbents in the region’s largest community. He did it again in 2025, and added to the victory by assuming the role of Vice President of the body.
“I'm a small business founder and co-operator of the small business still, and I work behind the counter just about every day at that small business," Fitch told WAMC. "I'm really in the trenches with people, with our working population right now because I'm a bartender, I'm a barista, I'm a city councilor, I'm a nonprofit board member- I'm really in the trenches with everyone.”
Now, Fitch – a cofounder of North Adams Pride and a board member for the city’s Chamber of Commerce – has cast the die and entered statewide politics to see if his municipal success can translate into a seat in the State House.
“What countless people have said to me when I'm greeting them, whether they're greeting me at their doors when I'm door knocking, for example, or at small events, they tell me that it's time for change," he said. "They tell me that it's time for fresh ideas, fresh energy, fresh blood even. They say this time and time again because I think people do widely recognize that at some point, we reach a time in our society and in our history where it's time for fresh leadership, it’s time for a passing of the baton.”
The man between Fitch and his legislative aspirations is John Barrett III, a major figure in Northern Berkshire politics since the mid-70s with stints on the region’s school committee and as Commissioner of Berkshire County. He served as mayor of North Adams from 1984 until 2010, and has been the 1st Berkshire District State Representative since 2017. As Fitch prepares to appear publicly with Barrett at a forum held by the Williamstown League of Women Voters at Williams College next Thursday, he says he’s eager to debate the issues facing Democratic voters on September 1.
“The truth is – and I mean no disrespect or shade because of this – I truly do not actually know what Representative Barrett's priorities are," said Fitch. "He now has a website, which is great, and I see some accomplishments of his listed, but I really don't know where he wants us to go as a society. I'm very clear and transparent with where I want us to go. I want to build a bright, successful, and affordable future for all of our residents, and to do so collaboratively and inclusively.”
Barrett turned down multiple requests from WAMC for an interview about the sole public event featuring both candidates in the race appearing side by side, saying through a representative that he would “prefer to hold off on discussing until after the debate.” In March, he pointed to his political experience, State House seniority, and ability to secure earmarks for his constituency as cause for voters to send him back to Boston for another two-year term.
“I fully respect the former mayor and current State Representative Barrett for all the great work he has done," Fitch continued. "But we can also all acknowledge that a lot of the work he has done is not yet done, and so it's going to require persistence, somebody to carry that baton, to pick up those irons out of the fire and keep moving them around so we can get these projects done. And I am the candidate that has that to offer.”
Fitch points to his leadership on the North Adams city council around creating its newly launched affordable housing trust as evidence that he can deliver on addressing affordability for the Northern Berkshires.
“I'm very much a collaborative worker," he said. "I work with my colleagues, I celebrate different people for what they do, I share credit with folks, and I'm successful in bringing people to the table and getting things done for those reasons.”
According to the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance’s most recent reports, Barrett has brought in just over $40,000 in contributions to Fitch’s $32,000 over the course of 2026. The vet’s long history in the region is better represented by his cash on hand, which sits at over $65,000 to Fitch’s $23,000. Barrett has only spent around $19,500 this year, while his challenger has logged almost $31,000 in expenditures so far. The incumbent has garnered the support of some of the region’s biggest players, including Williams College President Maud Mandel, car dealership owner George Haddad, Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort Chairman Brian Fairbank, former state rep. and Democratic booster Sherwood Guernsey, and Clear Sky Cannabis CEO Anthony Parinello. Fitch’s backers include Greylock Federal Credit Union President & CEO John Bissell, and three former North Adams city council presidents: Keith Bona, Benjamin Lamb, and Lisa Blackmer. Bona remains on the body alongside Fitch.
With no declared Republican or Independent candidates, the Democratic primary is the decider for the 1st Berkshire seat.
