Ward 6 City Council candidates Mary Johnson (left) and Victor Davila (right) will square off in the Nov. 4 general election.
Reminder Publishing file photo
SPRINGFIELD — The November ballot is now officially established following what was generally a quiet preliminary night at the ballot boxes.
According to results from Springfield’s election office, only 1,508 of the 44,407 registered voters in Springfield — or 3% of the city’s voters — came out for the city’s preliminary race on Sept. 9.
The night included races for City Council’s Wards 4 and 6 as well as the School Committee’s District 3.
Ward 6 will feature a contest between incumbent Victor Davila and public interest lawyer Mary Johnson during the Nov. 4 general election after Davila secured 50% of the vote, and Johnson accrued 38% of the vote during the Sept. 9 primary.
The other candidate, veteran and entrepreneur Charles Whitaker Battle, will not factor into the general election after only garnering 11% of the vote.
In comments to Reminder Publishing, Davila said he was running again to reduce crime, litter and cost of living in Springfield. As chair of the City Council’s PILOT New Revenue committee, he shared that he is leading efforts to have nonprofits give their fair share of payment in lieu of taxes to help increase revenue in the city.
Davila, who has been a Ward 6 councilor since 2020, said Springfield has made him into the man he is today. He shared that he is running for reelection to “give back to this great city.”
“I am grateful to my supporters [and] volunteers for their support and for believing in me,” Davila said. “The campaign is going well and with the voters’ blessing, I hope to be reelected to the Springfield City Council Ward 6.”
Throughout her campaign, Johnson has argued that a new voice is needed because a lot of the issues pertaining to Ward 6 are still conspicuous. She said that she plans to take litter issues to multiple city departments to find out what is being done to clean the city’s streets and sidewalks.
She has also expressed excitement in exploring PILOT agreements, saying that the city could conservatively receive $10 million in revenue from pilot programs every year, “far and above any amount that you could get” from fines.
In a comment to Reminder Publishing following the primary, Johnson thanked her supporters and volunteers.
“I am excited to continue to work hard to get out our message of a new voice and new ideas for Ward 6 in Springfield,” Johnson said. “New ideas for litter and trash clean-up, collaborative efforts to lower property taxes, and a public safety approach that considers the root causes like mental health and substance use treatment. Our message is resonating with Ward 6 residents, and I am so proud of how far we have come.”
Reminder Publishing file photo
In Ward 4, incumbent Malo Brown will face off against challenger Willie Naylor on Nov. 4 after Brown finished first in the primary with 44% of the vote and Naylor came in second with 32%.
The other challengers, Kenneth Barnett and Beverly Savage, received only 12 % and 10% of the votes, respectively, and will not move on to the general election.
Brown, who has served on the council since 2020, did not respond to a request for comment following the primary, nor was he present at the candidates’ night in August.
Naylor, who has over 25 years of service in ministry and community leadership, said at a candidates’ night event in late August that a change is needed in Ward 4. In comments to Reminder Publishing, he said his campaign is rooted in “building a stronger, healthier, and more connected Mason Square and Springfield as a whole.”
He specifically mentioned a greater focus on economic development, quality of life and public health initiatives as major components of his campaign.
Following the primary results, Naylor said he was thankful for his family and community.
“The strong field of candidates shows Ward 4 is ready for change,” Naylor said. “Low turnout reminds us why we need responsive, effective leadership. In November, I humbly ask for your vote so we can deliver the change our community deserves.”
Reminder Publishing file photo
In the lone School Committee primary race, incumbent Chris Collins came out on top with 55% of the vote. He will be challenged for the District 3 seat by Rosa Valentin, a 35-year veteran of Springfield Public Schools, after she received 34% of the vote. The third challenger, Steven Carosello, will not factor into the November election after only accruing 9% of the vote.
Collins, a retired principal, said he is running again because the work is not finished, including efforts around MCAS.
“One of the best things that we’ve done, and we need to continue that, is get the focus off the people who aren’t in the middle of the schools and dealing with children, and get finances pushed right to the schools,” Collins said. “I’m running to make sure that that stays in place, and to support the new superintendent.”
In comments to Reminder Publishing, Collins called the 3% voter turnout rate “disappointing” and vowed to get more people to the polls come November.
“I’m going to be working hard with contacting people and doing some mailings,” Collins, an 18-year veteran on the School Committee, said. “And part of my message is going to be, look, everybody needs to get out and vote.”
A 35-year veteran of Springfield Public Schools, Valentin said she is running for the District 3 seat because she cares deeply about the children and teachers, arguing that the latter is the backbone of the school system.
“I’m running for School Committee … because we need to support our superintendent, and we need to continue the great work that Springfield is doing,” Valentin said. “I’m running because I believe in our children, in our teachers, and also in our families.”
She could not be reached for comment about the preliminary race, as of press time.
Readers can learn more about the November race by visiting Reminder Publishing’s past reporting.
