State Rep. Kelly Pease receives a call during his election night celebrations at his home.
Reminder Publishing photo by Trent Levakis
Two-term Republican state Rep. Kelly Pease won a decisive but hard-fought victory over Democratic challenger Westfield City Councilor Bridget Matthews-Kane for the 4th Hampden District, which encompasses most of Westfield and all of Southampton.
In Westfield, Pease won every precinct with a total vote of 10,609 to 7,045 for Matthews-Kane out of 19,821 votes cast.
In Southampton, Pease earned 2,098 votes to Bridget Matthews-Kane’s 1,813 votes.
Both Pease and Matthews-Kane spent months knocking on doors and hearing from constituents in both communities.
“The most important thing is every afternoon get out and knock on doors. You want to be engaged with voters. Meet them, let them ask you questions,” said Pease in the last couple of weeks before the election.
Matthews-Kane was similarly focused on speaking to people. She said her strategy the entire time had been to focus on canvassing and knocking on doors.
“I’ve learned so much. I enjoy campaigning. I really enjoy going to the doors and talking to people about their concerns,” she said, adding that as chair of the Finance Committee for the Westfield City Council, she knew that a lot of families were struggling financially, and wanted to take their concerns to Boston.
As an incumbent, however, Pease was able to point to key committee seats and the funding that he has helped bring into Westfield since 2020 and Southampton since 2022 when the town was first brought into the district.
In his two terms in office, Pease served on the Joint Committee on Education and as the ranking minority member of the Joint Committee on Higher Education. A 20-year veteran of the U.S. Army, he was also put on the Joint Committee on Veterans and Foreign Affairs.
After his first two-year term serving on the Bonding Committee, Pease was appointed to both the House Committee and the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.
“Everything that comes to the House floor goes through Ways and Means,” he said, adding that he believed his committee assignments put him on a good trajectory.
In the Housing Bond Bill, Pease put in $50,000 for the Westfield Housing Authority for capital improvements, and $50,000 to Southampton to develop land for affordable housing.
Pease said after attending the Southampton Town Meeting at which officials discussed developing the land for the new safety complex, he was able to get $150,000 for Southampton into the economic development bond bill to help with the planning for the construction of the new safety complex.
In the same economic development bill, which is reportedly close to a deal in the House and Senate according to Sen. John Velis at a recent Westfield Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Pease also added $200,000 for Westfield for work on South Maple and Pleasant Streets, and $50,000 for capital improvements for the Greater Westfield Boys & Girls Club.
Matthews-Kane did not have the same track record to run on. After getting the initial results and calling to congratulate Pease, she thanked the packed crowd of supporters at the Tribeca Gastro Bar and Grill on election night.
“I’m incredibly grateful that we pulled together as a team to work as hard as we did,” Matthews-Kane said. “They say when you run a campaign, you’re supposed to run a campaign that even if you lose you leave the place better than when you found it,” to which the crowd told her she did and applauded.
She thanked all her team campaigning in both communities.
“I told my husband last night, win, lose or draw. I’m glad I did this and my biggest sorrow is that I might’ve disappointed you. So thank you for your support…”
Following her speech, Matthews-Kane told Reminder Publishing, “I’m glad I ran. I’d like to congratulate State Rep Pease on his victory and I hope his third term goes well.”
“I’m still a city councilor and I look forward to continuing to serve my ward,” she added.
At a watch party at his Montgomery Road home with his wife Serena, son Riley and close family friends, Pease said he was “cautiously optimistic” coming into the night.
Although he admitted it was “not much of a party,” Pease said his family support was happy to cheer proudly after hearing the results, and receiving the concession call from Matthews-Kane.
“I’m very proud of my record, I’ve done a good job representing the 4th Hampden District,” Pease said in the closing weeks of the campaign.
“I’m glad to serve Westfield and Southampton once again,” he said on election night, adding that he looks forward to continuing to represent Western Mass. at the statehouse.
Reminder Publishing Staff Writer Trent Levakis contributed to this story.
