HOLYOKE—A little over three weeks ago, Joshua Garcia, a former School Committee member and Blandford’s Town Administrator, roared into the November 2 mayoral general election here. Yet, Garcia still placed second in the initial round.
HOLYOKE—The first completely open race for mayor in 12 years crossed its first threshold as voters whittled down a powerhouse seven-person field to two contenders for November. At-large Councilor Michael Sullivan and Blandford Town Administrator Joshua Garcia will go on to the general election.
Readers may have noticed that there are seven candidates running for mayor, but only five were profiled. Still, it is very possible that one of them will advance beyond the Tuesday preliminary.
HOLYOKE—Gloria Caballero-Roca has been around the world and her academic research has taken even further. But after a life crisscrossing the globe and the humanities, her next task is running for mayor of Hampden County’s fourth largest city.
HOLYOKE—The Town of Blandford needed a new administrator. Eventually, Joshua Garcia would get the job permanently. His experience in municipal services has become foundational in his campaign for mayor of Holyoke.
HOLYOKE—There is one candidate for whom unity is truly central. It anchors the attitude and direction of both his campaign and the mayor’s office William Glidden would run.
HOLYOKE—Rebecca Lisi has not exactly been an insider. Yet, she is the candidate for mayor this year with the most experience in elected government—if fractional compared to some councilors seeking reelection.
HOLYOKE—Devin Sheehan wants to take his experience and leverage his relationship here and across the state as mayor.
As Holyoke assembles perhaps its most diverse field of mayoral candidates ever, there have been reminders of how much progress the city must make. Over the holiday weekend, signs for mayoral candidate Joshua Garcia and city council candidate Israel Rivera were defaced with an anti-Hispanic screed. More than that, the author assigned specific blame to Latinos for the city’s decline.
The Holyoke mayoral contests appears to be galloping toward an eight-person field as the certification process winds down. Christopher Kosinksi, a lesser known figure who had pulled papers early on, has turned in sufficient signatures in recent days. Meanwhile, a former city councilor turned recurring electoral guest star has announced, he, too, is running.