What are elections about? The smart political operative will tell you they are about the future.
That was not exactly on tap when Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno launched his reelection Wednesday at the Greek Cultural Center.
As the mayoral race in Springfield inches closer to the September preliminary, much of the campaign still has something of an unreality. There are four major declared candidates, each holding office and there are moves worth watching in the money race.
The opposition to Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno has been busy. They have little choice to be otherwise given Sarno’s advantages. It is no surprise that aside from squirreling away campaign funds, Sarno has barely campaigned.
That may be changing. Fitfully but notably, the incumbent has begun to heave himself onto the stump.
Less than a week ago, the Springfield Election Commission flung open its doors to candidates in a year with historic interest, several have already submitted their filings to run. Candidates have until June 6 to turn in signatures but as of this posting nine could not wait that long.
With the sportsbook now open at MGM Springfield, the easiest bet is whether Domenic Sarno will run for reelection.
But what if…what if he bows out?
And then there were three…
On Thursday, Springfield State Representative Orlando Ramos joined the unusually large field of heavy hitters trying to unseat Mayor Domenic Sarno. A two-term rep and before that a four-term ward councilor, Ramos will try to leverage his 10 years in elective office during the race.
The race for mayor of Springfield shifted into a higher gear with the entry of a third top-tier candidate Jesse Lederman, the Council President and three-term at-large councilor, declared his candidacy in a Tuesday morning press release and video.
SPRINGFIELD—Nearly two months after announcing on his 44th birthday, at-large City Councilor Justin Hurst has formally kicked off his bid for mayor. Speaking at the Cedars banquet hall, a favorite of city pols—including at one time the current occupant of the mayor’s office—Hurst sent some of the clearest signals about his campaign’s direction.
Not quite 48 weeks until the Springfield municipal election, the race has officially begun. At-large City Councilor Justin Hurst announced Wednesday that he would challenge incumbent Mayor Domenic Sarno.