Elections are currently held every four years to elect the
mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts
This is a list of mayors of Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield became a city in 1852.
Gallery
File:Caleb Rice.png, Caleb Rice First mayor of Springfield
File:Eliphalet Trask.png, Eliphalet TraskThird mayor of Springfield
File:William Ba ...
.
Before 1961, mayoral elections were partisan. Starting in 1961, they have been nonpartisan.
Terms had, originally, been for a length of a single year, but were later extended to two years. Starting with the 2011 mayoral election, terms were extended further to four years.
Elections prior to 1953
1953 mayoral election
The 1953 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 3, 1953. It saw incumbent mayor
Daniel B. Brunton reelected to a fifth term.
The primaries marked the first instance in which the city of Springfield used
voting machine
A voting machine is a machine used to record votes in an election without paper. The first voting machines were mechanical but it is increasingly more common to use '' electronic voting machines''. Traditionally, a voting machine has been defi ...
s in all of its precincts.
Turnout for the primaries was over 20%.
Democratic primary
Incumbent mayor
Daniel B. Brunton ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. More than 7,000 voters cast votes in the non-competitive Democratic primary.
Republican primary
In the Republican primary,
Massachusetts state representative Wendell P. Chamberlain defeated four candidates for the nomination. His competitors were ward 1 alderman Normand J. Beaudry, assessor Vernon E. Bradley (who had previously been the Republican nominee for mayor in 1951), ward 4 alderman and Springfield Board of Alderman president Henry Clay, and former school board member Theodore Wiel.
General election
1955 mayoral election
The 1955 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 8, 1955. It saw incumbent mayor
Daniel B. Brunton reelected to a sixth term.
Democratic primary
In the Democratic primary, incumbent
Daniel B. Brunton faced
Hampden County registrar of deeds John P. Lynch and Springfield superintendent of streets James J. Sullivan.
Republican primary
In the Republican primary, businessman and Springfield Fire Commission member Leon H. Hutchins defeated Board of Assessors member William G. Macauley.
General election
Brunton defeated Hutchins.
1957 mayoral election
The 1957 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 5, 1957. It saw incumbent mayor
Daniel B. Brunton unseated, losing renomination in the Democratic primary to
Thomas J. O'Connor, who went on to win the general election.
O'Connor became the youngest mayor in the city's history.
Democratic primary
Incumbent mayor
Daniel B. Brunton lost renomination to
Massachusetts state representative Thomas J. O'Connor in a landslide, losing in all of the city's 68 voting precincts.
When Brunton first announced his campaign against the longtime mayor, his odds of succeeding were seen as slim.
Significant issues debated in the primary included the city's police commission, off-street parking, and businesses leaving the city's downtown.
Republican primary
General election
1959 mayoral election
The 1959 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 3, 1959. It saw the reelection of incumbent mayor
Thomas J. O'Connor.
This was Springfield's final partisan mayoral election, as voters also voted to approve a move to nonpartisan elections.
The measure that did so also switched from a
weak mayor
Weak may refer to:
Songs
* "Weak" (AJR song), 2016
* "Weak" (Melanie C song), 2011
* "Weak" (SWV song), 1993
* "Weak" (Skunk Anansie song), 1995
* "Weak", a song by Seether from '' Seether: 2002-2013''
Television episodes
* "Weak" (''Fear t ...
form of government to a
strong mayor
Strong may refer to:
Education
* The Strong, an educational institution in Rochester, New York, United States
* Strong Hall (Lawrence, Kansas), an administrative hall of the University of Kansas
* Strong School, New Haven, Connecticut, United St ...
form.
Democratic primary
In a rematch of the 1957 Democratic primary, incumbent mayor
Thomas J. O'Connor was challenged by former mayor
Daniel B. Brunton. O'Connor handily defeated O'Connor, leading him in all 66 of the city's 68 voting precincts.
;Results
;Results by ward
Republican primary
Paul E. Affleck, the city councilman from the city's 5th ward, won the Republican primary unopposed.
General election
Running as an
independent candidate was Daniel B. Brunton, who had failed to win the Democratic primary.
1961 mayoral election
The 1961 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 7, 1961, and was preceded by a primary on October 10. It saw
Charles Ryan defeat incumbent mayor
Thomas J. O'Connor. It was the city's first nonpartisan mayoral election
Candidates
*Norman E. Cowles
*Arbold R. Craven
*
Thomas J. O'Connor, incumbent mayor since 1958
*
Charles Ryan, lawyer
*Bernard M. Lapointe
*John P. Lynch,
Hampden County registrar of deeds since 1952,
and 1955 mayoral candidate
*Arthur J. McKenna
*
Armand N. Tancrati,
Massachusetts state representative
*Raymond N. Tuller Jr.
Campaign
The 1960 reassessment of all of real estate in Springfield led to a furor when 1/3 of the Springfield's homeowners saw increases over their 1959 tax. On October 11, 1960, 4,500 residents attended a meeting at
Springfield Auditorium where members of the Board of Assessors attempted to explain the tax increase. Each member was booed off the stage before they could speak and O'Connor, who had no role in the property reassessment, failed to quiet the crowd and police were called in. O'Connor planned to cut 578 jobs from the 1961 budget to reduce the city's taxes, however he reversed this decision due to a lack of public support.
O'Connor's general election defeat was considered an
upset.
Two weeks after O'Connor's loss, the city's percentage assessment system, which had been a major issue during the campaign, was declared unconstitutional by the
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
Results
;Primary
;General election
1963 mayoral election
The 1963 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 6, 1963, and was preceded by a primary on October 8. It saw incumbent mayor
Charles Ryan reelected.
This was the city's first nonpartisan mayoral election
Candidates
*Arthur R. Caney
*John P. Lynch,
Hampden County registrar of deeds since 1952;
1955 and 1961 mayoral candidate
*
Charles Ryan, incumbent mayor
Campaign
Incumbent mayor Charles Ryan and registrar of deeds John P. Lynch were considered the two major contenders. A third candidate in the primary, Arthur R. Caney, was regarded as a political unknown.
As widely predicted,
both Ryan and Lynch were the two who advanced to the general election.
Both Lynch and Ryan identified as
Democrats.
Ryan's campaign was managed by his brother, Donald Ryan.
The campaign turned tense when, eight days before the general election, Lynch accused Ryan of being an advocate of
busing, bringing a racially-charged issue into the mix.
The day before the election, in a television appearance, Ryan alleged that bussing had already started, and that Ryan had approved it.
On the day of the election, the
Springfield Union ran two full-paged advertisements which showed
black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
children departing
school buses at Memorial School in the fashionable, and largely
white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, East Forest Park neighborhood. The ads, again claimed that Ryan had begun busing in the city.
Ryan responded by making a series of radio appearances on Election Day. In one he claimed that the photos actually were showing black children that had been transported to the school, not for the sake of
racial integration, but due to overcrowding at schools in parts of the cities that were predominantly black.
He also came out against using bussing to resolve de facto segregation.
Results
;Primary
;General election
1965 mayoral election
The 1965 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 2, 1965, and was preceded by a primary on October 4. It saw the reelection of
Charles Ryan to a third term.
The primary, held October 4, had been moved from its original date of October 5. Unusually, this made Election Day a Monday instead of a Tuesday. The change of date was made to avoid the election overlapping with the Jewish holiday of
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day' ...
.
Candidates
*Charles E. Cobb,
reverend at St. John's Congressional Church
*
James Grimaldi,
Massachusetts state representative and Springfield city councilor
*Rojer J. Lemelin, former Springfield assessor
*
Charles Ryan, incumbent mayor
*Frances L. Shea, independent advertising agent
Campaign
In the general election Ryan faced state representative and Springfield city councilor
James Grimaldi. He faced several additional candidates in the primary.
In the primary, Charles E. Cobb was the first
black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
candidate to run for mayor in the city's history.
Frances L. Shea was among the earliest women to run for Springfield's mayoralty.
A major issue in the campaign was how to resolve inequality in the quality of the schools buildings serving the city's largely non-
white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
neighborhoods compared those serving its largely-white neighborhoods.
Mayor Ryan proposed limited open enrollment, and hoped for the state to pay for the expense of
busing. He felt that black groups had failed to assist in making open enrollment successful in the city. Grimaldi hoped to resolve these inequalities by replacing the city's older school buildings, many of which were located in largely black neighborhoods.
Rojer J. Lemelin pledged to follow state's racial imbalance law.
Charles E. Cobb argued that students at Buckingham Junior High School (a 63.2% non-white school) were 2.5 years behind students at
junior high schools
A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school ...
with predominantly white student bodies. He argued against open enrollment, saying that it asked, "the very people least able to pay" to personally finance their children's transportation.
Frances L. Shea promised to follow the state's racial imbalance law, but argued that, "all laws are flexible and we should make them fit our situation".
Other major issues included
taxes
A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, o ...
, the proposed closure of the
Springfield Armory
The Springfield Armory, more formally known as the United States Armory and Arsenal at Springfield located in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, was the primary center for the manufacture of United States military firearms from 1777 until ...
, and allegations of
police brutality in the city.
1967 mayoral election
The 1967 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 7, 1967. It saw the election of
Frank Harlan Freedman.
Freedman, a Springfield city councilor and assistant attorney general for western Massachusetts (on leave from the latter role during his campaign), defeated state representative
James Grimaldi.
Incumbent mayor
Charles Ryan did not seek reelection, instead opting to retire to accept a lecturing job at
Springfield College.
While the race was officially nonpartisan, Freeman was a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, while Grimaldi was a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
.
Freedman became the city's first Jewish mayor. If elected, Grimaldi would have been its first Italian mayor.
1969 mayoral election
The 1969 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 4, 1969, and was preceded by a primary held on October 7, 1969. It saw the reelection of
Frank Harlan Freedman.
Candidates
*
James Grimaldi,
Massachusetts state representative since 1965, former Springfield city councilor; 1965 and 1967 mayoral candidate
*
Frank Harlan Freedman, incumbent mayor since 1968
*Frederick Hurst
*William J. Kingston, parks commissioner and former
Minor League Baseball player
Campaign
Democratic state representative James Grimaldi was a late entrant into the race.
Frederick Hurst's performance in the primary was regarded to have been surprisingly poor. He was one of the earliest black candidates to run for mayor of Springfield.
Freedman's reelection in the general election was aided by popular approval of how he had recently handled a public transit
strike
Strike may refer to:
People
* Strike (surname)
Physical confrontation or removal
*Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm
*Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...
and welfare-related protests.
Results
;Primary
;General election
1971 mayoral election
The 1971 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 2, 1971, and was preceded by a primary on October 5, 1971. It saw the reelection of
Frank Harlan Freedman to a third term.
Candidates
*Douglas Ariel,
mail carrier
A mail carrier, mailman, mailwoman, postal carrier, postman, postwoman, or letter carrier (in American English), sometimes colloquially known as a postie (in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom), is an employee of a post ...
*Socrates Babacas, business owner
*
Frank Harlan Freedman, incumbent mayor since 1968
*
James L. Grimaldi,
Massachusetts state representative since 1965, former Springfield city councilor; 1965, 1967 and 1969 mayoral candidate
* Wallace Hindes
Results
;Primary
;General election
1973 mayoral special election
The 1973 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral
special election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...
was held on January 30, 1973, to fill the vacancy left after
Frank Harlan Freedman resigned as mayor in October 1972 to accept an appointment as a
U.S. district court judge.
The election saw the election of
William C. Sullivan.
Paul Mason was only the third
black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
candidate to run for mayor in the city's history. He openly regarded his candidacy as more an effort to build up a following to help him run more successfully for the office two years later.
Candidates
*Paul Mason, Springfield city councilor
*
William C. Sullivan, Springfield city clerk
Results
1973 mayoral election
The 1973 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 6, 1973. It saw the reelection of incumbent
William C. Sullivan (first elected earlier that year in a special election) to his first full term.
Because only two candidates ran, there was no need for a primary election.
Candidates
*Arnold B. Craven, 1961 mayoral candidate
*
William C. Sullivan, incumbent mayor
Results
1975 mayoral election
The 1975 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 4, 1975, and was preceded by a primary on October 5, 1975. It saw the reelection of
William C. Sullivan to a second full, and third overall, term.
Candidates
*Stephen Desmond
*Wallace D. Hindes
*Peter Charles LeLuce
*
William C. Sullivan, incumbent mayor
Campaign
Stephen Desmond was a first-time candidate for public office, and ran as a
U.S. Labor Party
The U.S. Labor Party (USLP) was a political party formed in 1973 by the National Caucus of Labor Committees (NCLC). -backed candidate.
Results
;Primary
;General election
1977 mayoral election
The 1977 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 8, 1977, and was preceded by a primary on October 11. It saw the election of
Theodore E. Dimauro. Incumbent mayor
William C. Sullivan did not seek reelection.
Candidates
*
Theodore E. Dimauro, Springfield City Council president,
Springfield city councilor since 1970,
member of the
Massachusetts Governor's Council
The Massachusetts Governor's Council (also known as the Executive Council) is a governmental body that provides advice and consent in certain matterssuch as judicial nominations, pardons, and commutationsto the Governor of Massachusetts. Counc ...
since 1975,
former acting mayor (1972–1973), and former Springfield School Committee member
*Winston Gaskins
*
James L. Grimaldi,
Massachusetts state representative since 1965, former Springfield city councilor; 1965, 1967, 1969 and 1971 mayoral candidate
*Wallace Hindes (write-in)
*William Kelly
*John P. Lynch,
Hampden County registrar of deeds since 1952,
1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using mean solar tim ...
United States Senate candidate;
1955, 1961 and 1963 mayoral candidate
*John D. McCarthy
Campaign
Theodore E. Dimauro campaigned on revitalizing the city's downtown, and talked about pursuing further
public-private partnerships to accomplish this.
James L. Grimaldi, an experienced elected official (with 12 years experience on the Springfield City Council and 13 years experience in the Massachusetts House of Representatives) had long aspired to be Springfield's mayor, having run four times previously.
By 1977, Grimaldi was 66 years of age, and likely saw the election as his last chance to win the city's mayoralty.
He campaigned hard against Dimauro, accusing him of being a puppet for big business, of valuing the city's downtown at the expense of the remainder of the city, and criticizing him for his vote as a member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council to confirm a
black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
woman to be an associate justice of the
Boston Municipal Court
The Boston Municipal Court (BMC), officially the Boston Municipal Court Department of the Trial Court, is a department of the Trial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The court hears criminal, civil, mental health, rest ...
.
With both Dimauro and Grimaldi being Italian-Americans, the general election matchup guaranteed that the city would elect its first mayor of Italian descent.
Results
;Primary
;General election
1979 mayoral election
The 1979 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 6, 1979, and was preceded by a primary on October 9, 1979. It saw the reelection of
Theodore Dimauro to a second term.
Candidates
*
Theodore E. DiMauro, incumbent mayor since 1978
*Winston Gaskins, 1979 mayoral candidate
*Wallace D Hindes
Results
;Primary
;General election
1981 mayoral election
The 1981 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 3, 1981, and was preceded by a primary on October 6, 1981. It saw the reelection of
Theodore Dimauro to a third term.
Results
;Primary
;General election
1983 mayoral election
The 1983 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 3, 1983, and was preceded by a primary on September 20, 1983. It saw the election of
Richard Neal
Richard Edmund Neal (born February 14, 1949) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 1989. The district, numbered as the 2nd district from 1989 to 2013, includes Springfield, West Springfield, Pittsfield, H ...
.
Facing a prospective challenge from city councilor Richard Neal, incumbent mayor
Theodore Dimauro opted to instead retire.
[Duncan, Phil, et al. (December 31, 1988). "House freshmen: Massachusetts—2nd district." '']CQ Weekly
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combined ...
'': p. 3610. CQ Press
CQ Press, a division of SAGE Publishing, publishes books, directories, periodicals, and electronic products on American government and politics, with an expanding list in international affairs and journalism and mass communication.
History
Nels ...
.
Candidates
*Joseph Harrington, 1981 mayoral candidate
*William G. Montana
*
Richard Neal
Richard Edmund Neal (born February 14, 1949) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 1989. The district, numbered as the 2nd district from 1989 to 2013, includes Springfield, West Springfield, Pittsfield, H ...
, Springfield city councilor since 1979
Results
;Primary
;General election
1985 mayoral election
The 1985 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 5, 1985. It saw the reelection of
Richard Neal
Richard Edmund Neal (born February 14, 1949) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 1989. The district, numbered as the 2nd district from 1989 to 2013, includes Springfield, West Springfield, Pittsfield, H ...
.
Candidates
*Joseph Harrington, 1981 and 1983 mayoral candidate
*
Richard Neal
Richard Edmund Neal (born February 14, 1949) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 1989. The district, numbered as the 2nd district from 1989 to 2013, includes Springfield, West Springfield, Pittsfield, H ...
, incumbent mayor since 1983
Results
1987 mayoral election
The 1987 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 3, 1987. It saw the reelection of incumbent
Richard Neal
Richard Edmund Neal (born February 14, 1949) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 1989. The district, numbered as the 2nd district from 1989 to 2013, includes Springfield, West Springfield, Pittsfield, H ...
to a third term.
Candidates
*Joseph Harrington, 1981, 1983, and 1985 mayoral candidate
*
Richard Neal
Richard Edmund Neal (born February 14, 1949) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 1989. The district, numbered as the 2nd district from 1989 to 2013, includes Springfield, West Springfield, Pittsfield, H ...
, incumbent mayor since 1983
Results
1989 mayoral special election
The 1989 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral special election was held on April 25, 1989, and was preceded by a primary on March 21, 1989. It was held to fill the vacancy left after mayor
Richard Neal
Richard Edmund Neal (born February 14, 1949) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 1989. The district, numbered as the 2nd district from 1989 to 2013, includes Springfield, West Springfield, Pittsfield, H ...
resigned to become a
U.S. congressman
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
.
The election saw the election of the city's first female mayor
Mary Hurley, who defeated acting mayor Vincent MiMonaco.
Candidates
*Vincent DiMonaco, acting mayor and Springfield city councilor since 1972
*Joseph Harrington, 1981, 1983, 1985, and 1987 mayoral candidate
*Mary Hurley, Springfield city councilor since 1980
Campaign
In his brief period as acting mayor, DiMonaco had taken a tough stance on drugs, and expressed criticism of what he deemed to be "insufficient" financial support coming from the state and federal governments. He also, with 18 years experience on the City Council and prior experience on the Springfield School Committee, made an effort to portray himself as the more experienced candidate
Hurley accused DiMonaco of "flip-flopping" on various issues, such as whether the
National Guard
National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
Nat ...
should be used to fight against illegal drugs in the city, which he had previously advocated for, but since walked back his support for.
DiMonaco accused Hurley of receiving the back of a Richard Neal-led
political machine. Neal, however, remained publicly neutral in the election, and questioned DiMonaco's assertion that a political machine existed in the city.
Hurley raised $240,000 for her campaign, almost five times as much as DiMonaco managed to raise for his.
This fundraising advantage enabled her to run a last-minute battery of television advertisements.
Results
;Primary
;General election
1989 mayoral election
The 1989 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 7, 1989, and saw the reelection of incumbent mayor
Mary Hurley (first elected earlier that year in a special election) to her first full term.
1991 mayoral election
The 1991 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 5, 1991, and was preceded by a primary on September 24, 1991. It saw the election of
Robert Markel
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
.
Incumbent mayor
Mary Hurley did not seek reelection, announcing in February that she would not be running, to focus her attention on the city's
budget problems.
Hurleys' mayoralty had been beset by problems by this time, including wrangling with
unions in the prior year.
Candidates
*Leroy Crenshaw,
junior high school teacher
*Ray DiPasquale, Springfield city councilor since 1991 and former Springfield School Council member
*Paul Kalill, former Springfield city councilor (1974–1980)
*
Robert Markel
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
, Springfield city councilor
*William Montana,
draftsman
A drafter (also draughtsman / draughtswoman in British and Commonwealth English, draftsman / draftswoman or drafting technician in American and Canadian English) is an engineering technician who makes detailed technical drawings or plans for ...
and 1983 mayoral candidate
*
Benjamin Swan
Benjamin Swan is a former American state legislator who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and represented the 11th Hampden District from 2009 to 2016.
On February 6, 2014, Swan was one of five members of the legislative body ...
,
black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
community activist; management and education consultant
Campaign
A major issue of the campaign ahead of the primary election was the problem of "
white flight
White flight or white exodus is the sudden or gradual large-scale migration of white people from areas becoming more racially or ethnoculturally diverse. Starting in the 1950s and 1960s, the terms became popular in the United States. They refer ...
" to the city's suburbs.
The
frontrunner
FrontRunner is a commuter rail train operated by the Utah Transit Authority that operates along the Wasatch Front in north-central Utah with service from the Ogden Intermodal Transit Center in central Weber County through Davis County, Salt ...
s ahead of the primary election were broadly considered to be Ray DiPasquale, Robert Markel, and Paul Kalill.
As a candidate, Markel advocated for increasing the amount of fees for city services and increasing the enforcement of city codes.
Kalill called for a "clean sweep" of politicians in city government.
Benjamin Swan was a first-time candidate for elected office.
William Montana advocated for a
curfew
A curfew is a government order specifying a time during which certain regulations apply. Typically, curfews order all people affected by them to ''not'' be in public places or on roads within a certain time frame, typically in the evening and ...
for
minors, as well as a revival of
school prayer and
corporal punishment.
Results
;Primary
;General election
1993 mayoral election
The 1993 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 2, 1993, and was preceded by a primary on September 21, 1993. It saw the reelection of incumbent mayor
Robert Markel
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
.
Candidates
*
Robert Markel
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
, incumbent mayor since 1992
*Kateri Walsh, Springfield city councilor
*
Benjamin Swan
Benjamin Swan is a former American state legislator who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and represented the 11th Hampden District from 2009 to 2016.
On February 6, 2014, Swan was one of five members of the legislative body ...
, president of the Springfield
NAACP and 1991 mayoral candidate
Campaign
Merkel took credit for restoring services previously cut in past budgets.
Walsh argued that Markel had been neglecting towards public safety.
Swan said that safety, education, and employment were the top issues in the city.
Results
;Primary
;General election
1995 mayoral election
The 1995 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 7, 1995, and was preceded by a primary on September 19, 1995. It saw the election of mayor
Michael Albano
Michael Albano (born November 6, 1950) is an American politician, college professor, and government affairs consultant who resides in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. He is the former mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts and the former Massachusetts G ...
, who unseated incumbent mayor
Robert Markel
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
. Markel placed third in the primary, thereby failing to make the general election.
Candidates
*
Michael Albano
Michael Albano (born November 6, 1950) is an American politician, college professor, and government affairs consultant who resides in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. He is the former mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts and the former Massachusetts G ...
, Springfield City Council president
*Chelan "Jenkins" Brown
*Frederick Hurst, 1969 mayoral candidate
*
Robert Markel
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
, incumbent mayor since 1992
*
Charles V. Ryan
Charles V. Ryan (September 15, 1927 – October 18, 2021) was an American politician who served as Mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts, from 1962 to 1967, and again from 2004 to 2008.
Ryan served as the city's mayor during the 1960s for three t ...
, former mayor (1962–1968)
Campaign
Expected to be a central issue to voters in the general election was whether Springfield would receive a
casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
or not. A year prior, voters had rejected a
referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
to allow casinos in the city. However, a new nonbonding
ballot initiative
In political science, an initiative (also known as a popular initiative or citizens' initiative) is a means by which a petition signed by a certain number of registered voters can force a government to choose either to enact a law or hold a p ...
was up for a vote coinciding with the mayoral general election, which, if approved, would show citizen approval for building a casino in the city's downtown. Albano supported passing the initiative, while Ryan opposed it.
The issue dominated the campaign.
In the end, however, despite the voters voting against the ballot initiative, Albano (who had supported it) beat Ryan (who had opposed it).
Ahead of the general election, Springfield Newspapers, the publisher of ''
The Springfield Union News & Sunday Republican'', backed both the casino ballot initiative and Albano's candidacy.
Results
;Primary
;General election
1997 mayoral election
The 1997 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 4, 1997. It saw the reelection of incumbent mayor
Michael Albano
Michael Albano (born November 6, 1950) is an American politician, college professor, and government affairs consultant who resides in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. He is the former mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts and the former Massachusetts G ...
, who was running uncontested.
Results
1999 mayoral election
The 1999 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 2, 1999. It saw the reelection of incumbent mayor
Michael Albano
Michael Albano (born November 6, 1950) is an American politician, college professor, and government affairs consultant who resides in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. He is the former mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts and the former Massachusetts G ...
, running uncontested, to a third term.
Results
2001 mayoral election
The 2001 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 6, 2001, and was preceded by a primary on September 25, 2001. It saw the reelection of incumbent mayor
Michael Albano
Michael Albano (born November 6, 1950) is an American politician, college professor, and government affairs consultant who resides in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. He is the former mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts and the former Massachusetts G ...
to a fourth term.
Candidates
*
Michael Albano
Michael Albano (born November 6, 1950) is an American politician, college professor, and government affairs consultant who resides in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. He is the former mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts and the former Massachusetts G ...
, incumbent mayor since 1996
*
Paul Caron,
Massachusetts state representative since 1993
*Nicole Jones
Results
;Primary election
;General election
2003 mayoral election
The 2003 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 4, 2003. It saw former three-term mayor
Charles Ryan returned to office for a fourth non-consecutive term.
Incumbent mayor
Michael Albano
Michael Albano (born November 6, 1950) is an American politician, college professor, and government affairs consultant who resides in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. He is the former mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts and the former Massachusetts G ...
did not seek reelection.
Candidates
*
Lynda J. Melconian, former
majority leader
In U.S. politics (as well as in some other countries utilizing the presidential system), the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body. of the
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the st ...
*
Charles Ryan, former mayor (1962–1968)
Results
2005 mayoral election
The 2005 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 8, 2005, and saw the reelection of incumbent mayor
Charles Ryan reelected to a second consecutive, and fifth overall, term as mayor.
Candidates
*Tom Ashe, member of the Springfield School Committee since 2000 and former member of the Springfield License Commission (1998–1999)
*
Charles Ryan, incumbent mayor
Results
2007 mayoral election
The 2007 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 6, 2007. It saw
Domenic Sarno unseat incumbent mayor
Charles Ryan.
When announcing his candidacy for reelection, Ryan had declared that he intended this to be his final campaign for mayor. At the age of 79, he was the oldest mayor in the state at the time he announced his reelection campaign in April.
Since only two candidates ran, no primary was held.
Candidates
*
Charles Ryan, incumbent mayor
*
Domenic Sarno, at-large member of the Springfield City Council since 1999
Finances
Results
2009 mayoral election
The 2009 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 3, 2009. It saw the reelection on
Domenic Sarno.
Since only two candidates ran, no primary was held.
Candidates
*
Domenic Sarno, incumbent mayor since 2010
*
Bud Williams, former Springfield city councilor (1993–2008)
Results
2011 mayoral election
The 2011 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 8, 2011, and was preceded by a primary on September 20, 2011. Incumbent mayor
Domenic Sarno won reelection to a second term.
This was the first election to a four-year mayoral term, Springfield voters had, in 2009, approved a change to the city's charter which extended the mayor's term in office from two to four years.
This was the first time since 2001 that more than two candidates ran, which triggered a primary election.
Candidates
*Antonette E. Pepe, Springfield School Committee member
*
Domenic Sarno, incumbent mayor
*
Jose F. Tosado, Springfield City Council president
Campaign
Both Tosado and Pepe were considered to be high-profile and politically experienced challengers to Sarno.
Nevertheless, Sarno heavily led both in the primary, and handily defeated Tosado in the general election.
Results
;Primary
Turnout in the primary, at 14.64%, was historically low.
;General election
2015 mayoral election
The 2015 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 3, 2015, and was preceded by a primary on September 8, 2015. Incumbent mayor
Domenic Sarno won reelection to a third term.
Candidates
*Salvatore S. Circosta, member of Springfield Community Policing Board, business manager of a
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
church, former business owner, former
seminarian
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...
, former
military chaplain
A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations.
Although the term ''cha ...
, candidate for Springfield City Council in 2013
*Invelisse Gonzalez
*Michael Jones
*Johnnie Ray McKnight, former teacher
*
Domenic J. Sarno, incumbent mayor since 2008
*Beverly L. Savage, candidate for mayor of
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...
in 1995
Campaign
Salvatore S. Circosta was
politically conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization ...
, closely tying his candidacy with his
Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
.
Early into his candidacy, Circosta publicly disclosed that he was a
gay
''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'.
While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
man.
Circosta described himself as conservative on issues such as abortion rights and financial matters, but "
progressive" on some issues such as
gay rights.
Results
;Primary
;General election
2019 mayoral election
The 2019 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 5, 2019, and was preceded by a primary on September 10, 2019. It was held in the city of
Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Incumbent mayor
Domenic Sarno won reelection to a fourth term.
By virtue of winning reelection to his fourth term, Sarno became poised to be the city's longest-serving mayor.
Candidates
*Yolanda Cancel,
community organizer
Community organizing is a process where people who live in proximity to each other or share some common problem come together into an organization that acts in their shared self-interest.
Unlike those who promote more-consensual community bui ...
and candidate for Springfield City Council in 2007
*Jeffrey Donnelly,
perennial candidate
A perennial candidate is a political candidate who frequently runs for elected office and rarely, if ever, wins. Perennial candidates' existence lies in the fact that in some countries, there are no laws that limit a number of times a person can ...
* Linda Matys O'Connell, activist,
League of Women Voters official, former journalist
*
Domenic Sarno, incumbent mayor since 2008
Results
;Primary
;General election
2023 mayoral election
The 2023 Springfield Massachusetts mayor election is an upcoming mayoral election in Springfield, Massachusetts. Incumbent
Domenic Sarno plans to seek reelection. He is being challenged by State Representative
Orlando Ramos
Orlando Ramos is an American politician serving as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 9th Hampden district. Elected in November 2020, he assumed office on January 6, 2021.
Early life and education
Ramos was born ...
and City Councilors Justin Hurst and Jesse Lederman.
Nik DeCosta-Klipa of
WBUR
WBUR-FM (90.9 FM) is a public radio station located in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Boston University. It is the largest of three NPR member stations in Boston, along with WGBH and WUMB-FM and produces several nationally distributed progra ...
described Domenic Sarno as a relative "old-school, centrist Democrat" and his opponents as challenging him from the
political left
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...
. He also described this as the largest field of prominent challengers that Sarno has faced for mayor.
References
{{reflist