So, last Tuesday evening — Primary Election Day — I was at Smokey Joe’s Cigar Lounge, known the world-wide, having my usual Tuesday stogie and a beverage with some of the smartest guys I know and yet despite enjoying myself, I felt like the retired horse that pulled the fire wagon when there was an alarm going. I had an itch, a feeling that I should be in the fray.
This was the first election night I can remember when I wasn’t going to and from one headquarters or another. My rule, by the way, is always go to the loser’s party first because they end quicker, while the winner will linger.
I came home, and later that evening I checked the results and they were interesting. The two races in Springfield were among the handful of contests that were taking place in the region and given that, the voter turnout was not high.
Springfield City Councilor Malo Brown was crushed by incumbent state Sen. Adam Gomez with a final count of 7,159 to 2,986. The other race indeed had a surprise of Johnnie R.S. McKnight coming in with 1,518 votes to incumbent state Rep. Bud Williams’ 1,752 votes.
One would have thought Williams would have achieved a higher margin, but he didn’t.
Let’s look at the state representative race first. If McKnight had garnered just 300 votes more, Williams would be probably ending his long political career. Williams took the strategy of running without doing much press. He turned down the offer of a debate on Focus Springfield as well as doing a half-hour interview with me on Focus Springfield. He said that he was too busy in Boston for either opportunity.
It should be noted the Legislature was not in session this summer.
By declining these offers, he knew he was denying McKnight a chance to state his case to voters. McKnight later turned down a half-hour interview, saying that he was too busy campaigning knocking on doors.
Frankly, I was mystified by McKnight’s actions, as a half-hour of free TV is generally something a candidate challenging a long-time incumbent would like to have.
Williams received the endorsement of Gov. Maura Healey — despite some bad press in The Boston Globe — as well as a city councilor, a member of the school committee and the clerk of courts.
Whether or not this is his last term, Williams should be reading the tea leaves: he is vulnerable. In two years, a candidate with perhaps a little more money and name recognition could defeat him. I’m sure there are people in his district who are thinking that right now.
The state Senate race certainly had its moments. I moderated the debate between Gomez and Brown on Focus Springfield. Brown came prepared with one game plan: attempt to discredit Gomez any way he could.
Waving a group of reports from the Office of Campaign Finance, he claimed that Gomez had spent $20,000 of campaign funds eating at “Shake Shack and Hooters” while people in his district had food insecurity issues. I was completely baffled that somehow two chain restaurants were being characterized as scandalous, and the idea that legally contributed funds should be used to feed constituents.
None of the expenditures violated state ethics laws.
Brown claimed, as Williams’ chief of staff, he has a good working relationship with Healey. That didn’t ring true, as she endorsed Gomez.
Brown also decided to state something that just wasn’t true and charged that Gomez had been incarcerated during the Focus Springfield debate. As moderator, I’ve apologized to Gomez and I will once more pledge that for the next debate I moderate I will stop it when a lie is uttered by a participant.
Gomez, responding to that charge, said, “You’re cooked, bro,” and ultimately, indeed, Brown was cooked with the election results. I should mention a good friend of mine actually had a T-shirt made with Gomez’s words.
Now, we have several more races locally that will be center stage. U.S. Rep. Richard Neal is facing a challenge from Nadia Milleron, who describes herself as “an independent mother, farmer, attorney and successful advocate who will fight for you. Following her daughter’s death on a Boeing 737 MAX that crashed and killed all on board, Nadia went to Washington and helped lead the unanimous passage of the national bipartisan Aircraft Certification, Safety and Accountability Act in 2020, and then went to Boeing’s home in Illinois and spearheaded the overthrow of a state law that protected big corporations over victims. She began her career practicing law helping children who were facing neglect and abuse. Nadia and her husband, Michael, have raised 4 children, and live on a farm in Sheffield.”
Incumbent U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren will face Republican John Deaton, who describes himself as “a U.S. Marine veteran, cancer survivor, father to three daughters, trial attorney, author and someone who overcame impossible odds to build a life for his family and become a champion for other underdogs.”
I’m hoping to interview all the candidates.
Oh, yes, and there’s a presidential race as well, you might have heard.
Every election is vital to the future of your town, your state and your country, and as Election Day 2024 nears I hope all of you will turn out to support the candidate of your choice.
G. Michael Dobbs has worked for Reminder Publishing for 23 years of his nearly 50-year-career in the Western Mass. media scene, and previously served as the executive editor. He has spent his time with the publisher covering local politics, interesting people and events. The opinions expressed within the article are that of the author’s and do not represent the opinions and beliefs of the paper.
