Kelly Pease, Serena Pease and Riley Pease at the East Mountain Country Club after learning the results of the 4th Hampden District race.
Reminder Publishing photo by Amy Porter
WESTFIELD — After spending Election Day standing outside and greeting people at each polling place in Westfield, state Rep. Kelly Pease gathered to watch the race returns at the East Mountain Country Club.
Pease, a Republican, was running for his fourth term as state representative for the 4th Hampden District, which covers most of Westfield and the town of Southampton. His challenger was Colby Hoffman, a Democrat and newcomer to local politics who had mounted a strong first-time campaign.
“This was an interesting year in the political world,” said Pease, who earlier in the evening had wondered whether what looked like an incoming blue wave might include his state House seat.
In unofficial results submitted by City Clerk Kaitlyn Bruce later that evening, voters in Westfield chose Pease, 8,258 votes to 5,025 for Hoffman. In Southampton, according to unofficial results released the next morning by Town Clerk Lucille Dalton, the overall count showed Pease with 1,802 votes to Hoffman’s 1,497.
After it became clear that Pease had won each ward and precinct, he said he felt relieved. “Obviously, the people of Westfield recognized that I put in the time, never missed a vote, and I show up for all the events. The hard work I put into this job is recognized and appreciated by the constituents of the 4th Hampden District,” Pease said, adding, “I’m humbled and honored to be able to continue representing the district for another couple of years.”
Former state Rep. Donald Humason Jr., whose seat Pease had won in the House after working for Humason as an aide, praised Pease for his “grace, charm and commitment.”
“I’m immensely proud of Kelly as my friend, state representative and former employee. He’s done a lot for this district,” Humason said. “He has that dedication. That’s the way you do this job well.”
Hoffman, who had gathered with supporters and family at the Tribeca Grill in Westfield, said he had called Pease that evening and conceded the race. He said he was proud they ran a clean race, that he was buoyed by what happened nationwide, and that he would definitely be sticking around Westfield politics.
“Thank you to the communities of Westfield and Southampton for giving me the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people over the course of this campaign. While the election did not go the way we had hoped in the 4th Hampden District, I am proud of the effort myself and my volunteers put in, and I plan to stay active in these wonderful communities in the future,” Hoffman said.
“The election results elsewhere in this great commonwealth and the nation at large provide a repudiation of this terrible President and the MAGA movement at large and I feel hopeful for humanity’s future for the first time in two years,” Hoffman added.
Unofficial results in Westfield, released the evening of Nov. 3 by Bruce, showed 15,374 voters participating in the Nov. 3 election, which is 50.97% of the electorate.
Bucking the statewide trend for governor and lieutenant governor, voters in Westfield favored Republicans Mike Minogue and Shawn Oliver by 7,527 votes to 6,910 votes for Democrats Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll.
Westfield voters supported Democratic incumbent Edward Markey for the U.S. Senate with 7,317 votes to 6,882 for Republican John Deaton. Independent candidate Shiva Ayyadurai received 472 votes, and Socialism and Liberation candidate Joe Tache received 263 votes.
U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, a Democrat, was also favored by 8,323 votes to 5,731 for Independent Nadia Millerson.
Attorney General Andrea Campbell narrowly won Westfield, 7,570 to 7,218, over Republican challenger Michael Walsh. Secretary of State William Galvin won by a wider margin with 8,561 votes to 6,206 for Republican Anne Brensley.
Voters returned Treasurer Deborah Goldberg to office with 7,617 votes to 6,998 for Republican challenger Elizabeth Dionne, and strongly supported Auditor Diana DiZoglio with 9,994 votes to 3,177 for Libertarian Al Ozonoff.
In an uncontested race, state Sen. John Velis, a Democrat, received 11,483 votes in Westfield.
