For political observers, the big story this fall has been Boston’s historic mayoral election. But there are numerous races outside of Boston that could provide a window into how politics is shifting statewide. Lisa Kashinsky, author of Politico's Massachusetts Playbook, and Wilnelia Rivera, founder of Rivera Consulting and former chief strategist for Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley's campaign, join Adam Reilly on Greater Boston to discuss.
Framingham and Gloucester
Kashinsky compared Framingham to Gloucester, because the incumbent mayors of both cities faced controversies that put them in danger of not being reelected.
In Framingham, Yvonne Spicer was the first Black woman to be popularly elected mayor in all of Massachusetts. She made headlines over clashes with members of the city council during her first term, and faces a challenge from former city councilor Charlie Sisitsky, who earned double her vote in the preliminary election. A SuperPAC affiliated with Gov. Charlie Baker, Massachusetts Majority, has put money behind Sisitsky.
“These races are hyperlocal, and the person she’s facing, Charlie Sisitsky, is a longtime city official, has been on the city council, and is very well known in town and has a lot of backers behind him,” Kashinsky said.
Lawrence
Lawrence’s race for mayor started with an open field after former Mayor Dan Rivera left his post. Wilnelia Rivera, a Lawrence native, called it an “intergenerational” race. “It’s a community that has really gone through a lot of changes in the last 10 years,” she said. “This mayoral election is really a test of the young generation that stayed and chose to build their city.
The likely winner, interim Mayor Kendrys Vasquez, has focused his campaign on making big changes and has brought people into politics who aren’t usually involved. “For a lot of young generations of Lawrence-ians that are there, he’s really done an amazing job at criss-crossing the city in a way that really makes the city look like what it should be, which is that it is a multiracial community,” Rivera said.
Lowell
For many years, community organizations in Lowell fought to shift the at-large city council to one based on wards. This year, Rivera said she is closely watching the campaign of Corey Robinson, who is likely to become the first Black city councilor in Lowell. “What’s galvanizing about his race is that he’s doing it in a way that’s bringing together all the constituencies across the city,” Rivera said. “For me what I’m looking at is, can the people of Lowell take advantage of the new city council districts in a way that creates more inclusive representation for the Cambodian community and African American community there?”
WATCH: Breaking Down The Mayoral Elections Across Mass., From Somerville To Framingham And Beyond
Somerville
In Somerville, the mayor’s race could be considered a microcosm of fights within the broader Democratic party as two progressives, Katjana Ballantyne and Will Mbah, battle it out. The two candidates finished close together, and Kashinsky called the general election a “toss-up.”
Somerville is also poised to elevate its status as a “progressive bastion” as it could become the first municipality in the country with a majority democratic socialist city council. “Then you look at the city council races where you could have — if all seven of them get elected, a democratic socialist takeover of the city council,” Kashinsky said.
Springfield and Worcester
Rivera is also watching city council races in Springfield and Worcester, where progressive multiracial candidates are running viable campaigns in more conservative districts. “The reason that these stories are so critical and so important to the shifts locally in places like Worcester and places like Springfield is that they represent the younger generation and also new immigrant communities that have come into these communities as well,” she said.
