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Reminder Assistant Editor LONGMEADOW It was a close race in Forest Park, but the Second Hampden District state representative Democratic nomination ultimately went to Brian Ashe, a Select Board member from Longmeadow. He defeated opponent Kateri Walsh, a Springfield City Councilor, 2,860 to 1,535. Ashe edged out Walsh by only two votes in the Springfield section of the district, and took Longmeadow, Hampden, Monson and half of East Longmeadow. He will be challenging fellow Select Board member William Scibelli, a Republican, for the seat being vacated by Mary Rogeness. "I'm ecstatic and exhausted," Ashe told Reminder Publications the day after his victory was announced. He credits his win over Walsh to having a little more experience with all the towns of the district. He said the best thing about winning the primary election was knowing that he gained the approval of all parts of the district. "To know that I've earned it in every part of the district, it really shows that I'm the correct Democratic candidate," he stated. As a Democrat, he said that he and his party will need to "push harder than we ... ever have before" to win in the general election. The seat he is looking to claim has been held by Republicans for the past 36 years. "The Democratic party is no longer split after the primary," Ashe said. "We are a united front. Republicans are always fighting an uphill battle in Boston, and I think if we can get the seat, we'll be able to work things through more easily." Ashe holds a bachelor's degree in business management and a master's degree in criminal justice from Westfield State College. He's been working with the Hampden County Sheriff's Department for more than 15 years. He claims to have a passion for public service he's served on the Longmeadow Select Board for three terms, the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority Advisory Board, the former Metropolitan Planning Organization and has also participated in the community as a sports coach. He said he understands the biggest issues facing the Second Hampden District are being over-reliant on property taxes, rising health care and energy costs, educational demands and the aging infrastructure of roads, bridges and water and sewer systems. "There is only so much that can be done at the local level," he stated. Ashe and his team will be coming up with a "game plan" for the next six weeks. The general election will be taking place Nov. 4. "My goal is to show that hard work and perseverance pays off in the long run," he said. "People out there appreciate the hard work put in early on. It means that hard work will take place in office later on." The Select Board "Longmeadow does good in this election one way or the other," Select Board chair Paul Santaniello joked. The election of either Ashe or Scibelli in November will leave a vacant seat on the board, however. Katherine Ingram, town clerk, said the Select Board can call for a special election in early 2009 to fill the empty seat. Both Scibelli's and Ashe's terms on the board expire in 2010, so the person elected during that special election would remain in that seat until the town elections of April 2010. | ||||||
