After winning reelection, state Rep. Bud Williams stands with his family and supporters, including City Councilors Gerry Martin and Malo Brown, who is Williams’s chief of staff.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
SPRINGFIELD — The ballots are in and primary voters in the 11th Hampden District chose to stay the course. The three-way primary race for the seat ended with incumbent Bud Williams winning a sixth term in the state House of Representatives. With 1,606 votes, or 43.01%, Williams bested Johnnie McKnight, who had 1,225 votes, or 32.81%. There were 884 ballots cast for Nicole Coakley, 23.67% of the electorate. In total, 15,004 Springfield residents voted, 11.84% of those who were eligible.
“It’s always exciting when the voters speak. At the end of the day, the voters said, ‘Go back to Beacon Hill and keep working,’” Williams said while at his watch party at Sophia’s Bar and Grill. He said his focus would be “bringing unity to the 11th district. This election has been very negative. Unity in the community will bring the district forward.”
Williams was first elected in 2016. He has served on several committees during his tenure, including the Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Joint Committee, House Ways and Means Committee and the Ways and Means Joint Committee. Most recently, he chaired the Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion. He has sponsored bills to exclude medical debt from credit reports, eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for drug-related offenses, expand property tax relief and establish a moratorium on new gas system expansions.
Coakley is a mental health clinician and small business owner. Her campaign emphasized providing women and children with access to safe housing, healthcare, affordable childcare, and educational and economic opportunities. She also supported first-time homebuyer programs, strengthening protections for tenants and creating workforce opportunities without barriers.
A teacher by profession, McKnight built a platform around expanding home ownership opportunities, investing in underserved neighborhoods, supporting legislation that secures tax revenue from large companies and promoting cultural tourism and economic development. He ran against Williams in the 2024 election, securing 46.1% of the vote. Williams received just 245 more votes in that contest.
About 20 people gathered at McKnight’s watch party at Christopher’s Tavern. The vibe was subdued as the results rolled in. Brenda Douglas said of the candidate, “I like his image. He takes himself seriously. I feel he’s very sincere.” She said the district was being “left behind” and believed McKnight would support the community’s needs.
Andrew Cornick was an intern on McKnight’s campaign. Reflecting on his reasons for supporting McKnight, Cornick said, “He was the most viable [candidate] because of how close he came last time. He had a track record — he’s always running on these more progressive ideas. It’s less about people who describe themselves as progressive and more about what they support once they’re in office.”
McKnight entered the venue to applause shortly before 10 p.m., after the election had been decided. He thanked his supporters, and in particular, state Sen. Adam Gomez. Gomez said McKnight’s team had knocked on almost 9,000 doors and called about 6,000 people. “Tomorrow’s another day,” he told the candidate’s supporters.
McKnight said being a progressive candidate means “thinking about the folks and the people in the community who don’t have a voice.” Large portions of the district do not vote, he said, partly because they have become jaded. “We need folks to believe in a better Hampden future,” he said, adding, “A lot of people do not want change … They want the same things they’re comfortable with, but we need to remove their comfortability.”
Citing the votes received by Coakley as the reason for his loss, McKnight said she had been a spoiler candidate. “Nicole got into the race because Bud wanted her in the race,” he said, later alleging to Reminder Publishing that Williams had been seen giving Coakley the nomination papers. He clarified, “It’s not about trying to block people from the democratic process … I feel like this is just a little bit complex.” Referring to Williams, McKnight said, “His heart’s not in the right place. Bud has done nothing for the community for 30 years.” He told the crowd, “I’m sorry we didn’t win, but the fight must go on.”
Williams responded to McKnight’s allegation that he had encouraged Coakley to run to split the votes against him. “I’ve never talked to Coakley. To make a statement like that is sour grapes,” Williams said. Referring to McKnight, he remarked, “He lost. Suck it up and move on.”
