'An inflection point': Longtime Worcester incumbents try to survive progressive challengers this November

Last month, as longtime Mayor Joseph Petty showed support for a fellow incumbent at a fundraiser, that same night, half a dozen newer candidates huddled inside one voter’s home to mobilize a different crowd.

Over turkey sandwiches, they mingled with a small group of donors and exchanged advice for campaigning before Election Day on Nov. 7. Toward the end of the event, one of the candidates stood up in front of the others and recited an agenda shared among this group of self-described progressive candidates.

“We are at an inflection point in the city of Worcester,” said City Councilor Khrystian King, who’s running for mayor. “The economic renaissance has not trickled down to everyone. ... With intentionality, we can be lifted up — because all people want is access and opportunity.”

With Worcester’s election less than two weeks away, municipal races are especially contested this year and political control of New England’s second largest city is at stake. The election is the first in more than two decades that all 11 City Council seats — including mayor — have multiple candidates running.

Although the races are nonpartisan, local political experts say the increased competition mainly stems from more progressives, like those at the September gathering, becoming involved in Worcester politics. There are so many progressive candidates this year that some are even running against each other for the same positions.

“This is the most progressive group of candidates that we’ve had, historically,” said Joe O’Brien, who was Worcester’s mayor in the early 2010s.

Still, in order for the progressives to gain control of Worcester government, they’ll have to overcome several incumbents who are more moderate and have strong support among many voters. And whether moderates are fending off the challengers won’t be clear until votes are counted — there are no electoral polls in Worcester.

Sam Turken GBH News

The rise of the Worcester progressives

Local political experts say King, Etel Haxhiaj and Thu Nguyen are the most liberal members of City Council right now. If those three can remain on council and the progressives gain three more seats this election, they’ll have the majority.

Democrats have long held firm control in Worcester. Still, O’Brien and Clark University political science professor Robert Boatright said Worcester politics have traditionally been more moderate than in other big Massachusetts cities, like Boston and Cambridge. But several factors have driven progressives’ rise in Worcester in recent years.

Younger and more liberal voters are becoming increasingly involved in politics, O’Brien said. There are also issues in Worcester, such as surging housing costs and homelessness, that have galvanized some activists to run for office.

The progressive candidates say they have an advantage because they believe they’re more relatable to most Worcester residents than current officeholders. In a city that has become more racially diverse in recent decades, the majority of the progressive candidates are Black or Latino. Challengers like Johanna Hampton-Dance, Maydee Morales, Domenica Perrone and Guillermo Creamer Jr. emphasize their ethnic backgrounds and lived experiences on the campaign trail.

“I grew up in the third floor of triple-deckers throughout the city. We’d bop around when rent prices would go up. So many residents can relate to that. I really understand how the struggle actually is,” said Creamer Jr., a candidate for mayor of Peruvian and Chilean descent, during a recent mayoral debate hosted by GBH News.

Carlin Stiehl for GBH

Candidates’ relatability, along with their push for more aggressive action to make Worcester housing more affordable, police more accountable and education more equitable, resonates with some voters.

“The next few years will make a difference for all of us,” said Jeuji Diamondstone, a local housing activist. “There is potential here in Worcester now to elect more women, more folks who are engaged with people who are struggling, who understand.”

Moderate incumbents with strong bases

Petty, Donna Colorio, Kate Toomey, Morris Bergman, George Russell and Candy Mero-Carlson have served on City Council for multiple terms and have cultivated relationships with many voters around the city.

That was on display when Petty canvassed Worcester’s Salisbury Street neighborhood in early October. As he walked from house to house, knocking on doors, Petty asked residents if they’re experiencing any problems in their neighborhood or need him to address anything. He already knew many of the voters, and nearly all of them assured him he had their support in the election. One voter, Harry Danso, who’s originally from Ghana, said he’s given Petty the nickname “Kwame.”

“In Ghana, the day you were born, we have a name for it. ... He was born on Saturday, so he’s called Kwame,” Danson said, noting that Petty has always supported Worcester’s Ghanaian community. “When it comes to immigration, when it comes to health care, when it comes to things that people need — jobs — Joe is there.”

Petty said he’s always viewed himself as progressive, but acknowledges there are other candidates who are left of him this election. Over the last two years, he’s joined City Council’s majority in more conservative votes on police drones, inclusionary zoning and anti-abortion centers, among other issues. Petty said his moderation helps him negotiate with people and build consensus on issues.

“I vote what I think is the right thing to do,” he said. “I get yelled out on the conservative side, too. ‘Why did you vote with those guys?’ Because I think it’s the right thing to do. I always put the city first.”

Carlin Stiehl for GBH

Other incumbents note that, under their leadership, Worcester has boomed. After losing residents throughout much of the last century, the postindustrial city’s population has grown about 14% over the last decade. The moderate candidates say new attractions like the Polar Park baseball stadium and more shops around a revitalized downtown have made Worcester a more appealing place to live in and visit, which has helped the city’s economy grow.

That matters to John Lian, who’s lived in Worcester for about 25 years. While he said he agrees with the progressives’ desire to make Worcester more affordable and equitable, he also said Worcester used to be a gloomy city with little to do. He said he appreciates Petty and other incumbents for helping change that.

“If I can equate the city to a corporate structure, accountability is always on the president and CEO of the company. And if the president and CEO of a company is doing a good job, there's not a lot of sense in changing what's working,” Lian said.

How many other Worcester voters feel that way — and how many are looking for a change — will determine what the new City Council looks like next year.