Gerry Martin’s tenacity may explain the lopsidedness of his victory over Tim Allen. Yet, something bigger seems to be afoot in Springfield.
Two School Committee members lost their seats and an incumbent at-large Councilor was squeezed out.
HOLYOKE—Two years after making history as the Paper City’s first Latino mayor, Josh Garcia has won reelection and upended city politics again. It was one of many surprises that ripped through the 413 Tuesday night, matching some of the energy, enthusiasm and, above all, change voters are demanding from this Commonwealth to the Commonwealth of Virginia.
SPRINGFIELD—Of the many races for ward seats on the City Council here, Ward 7 stands out a bit. The current occupant of the seat, Timothy Allen, was part of the original class of ward councilors elected in 2009. He has faced few opponents over the years and he has been in office ever since. Yet, the seat may also be the one where national agitation for generational change is most apparent.
For a moment in August, it seemed like the race for Springfield’s Ward 1 Council seat was over. The incumbent, Maria Perez, had just filed a suit against her now-former employer, the New North Citizens Council (NNCC), and her election opponent, Joesiah Gonzalez. Yet before the month was out, he was campaigning again and marched in Springfield’s Puerto Rican parade.
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The incumbents, Ward 4 Councilor Malo Brown, Ward 6 Councilor Victor Davila and District Committee member Christopher Collins—whose district represents Wards 6 and 7—all placed first in the Springfield preliminary. They will face Willie Naylor, Mary Johnson and Rosa Valentin, respectively, in November.
UPDATED 9/10/25 1:03AM: In the prelim, Davila and Johnson advanced to the general election. SPRINGFIELD—Since the return of ward representation on the City Council here in 2009, one ward has seen four people serve as its councilor. There are many reasons slightly more people have
Springfield City Council and School Committee hopefuls plied their political wares last week during an outdoor forum. Focus Springfield and White Lion Brewing organized and staged the event in the “Pridelands” beer garden, across Main Street from the brewer’s taproom in Tower Square. It may
Little more than two weeks after the New North Citizens Council (NNCC) axed Maria Perez from her day job, the Springfield City Councilor for Ward 1 has struck back. Allegedly defamatory language now forms the basis of Perez’s suit that names her former employer, several NNCC staffers and board members, including Joesiah Gonzalez.
In a late afternoon press release, the New North Citizens Council (NNCC) announced it had terminated its housing chief, Maria Perez. Perez has served as the Ward 1 City Councilor since 2022. The brusque, shocking release all but accuses Perez of misappropriating NNCC funds, including those it received from the federal government by way of City Hall.
Although only the City Council and School Committee are on the ballot this year, Springfield’s midterm elections had been shaping up into a competitive affair. However, no at-large Councilor is retiring and the odds of defenestrating an at-large incumbent are daunting. That may have changed on Friday. Former at-large City Councilor Justin Hurst pulled papers on Friday to reclaim a citywide seat on the Council.