HOLYOKE—The LightHouse, an event space that used to be Gateway City Arts, was full. Mayor Joshua Garcia’s late February reelection kickoff attracted a crowd that included luminaries and grandees from not just throughout the region, but across the state. Nearly a month later, Garcia remains the only candidate for mayor of the Paper City.
EASTHAMPTON—Despite years of involvement with Democratic politics, it is no secret that the 2016 election was a turning point for Nicole LaChapelle. Two reelections later, LaChapelle will not seek reelection as mayor here next year, although there is another presidential election before that.
“I was out at the Brass Cat and one of the bartenders is like, ‘Hey, Trump can be president again. Does that mean you’re gonna run again?’” LaChapelle recalled.
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.
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.
HOLYOKE—Acting Mayor Terence Murphy announced Wednesday he will…not be a candidate for anything. Early this year, Murphy became Holyoke’s acting mayor succeeding former Mayor Alex Morse and Council President Todd McGee who very briefly acted as mayor. That came after Morse’s resignation and a flurry
Barely three days after the Holyoke mayoral contest expanded to four, the race appears to have grown again. Blandford Town Administrator Joshua Garcia has pulled papers to run for the city’s top job. His intentions became public Thursday, though as of posting time he has