Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 7/13/2021
NORTHAMPTON – After making his first run at mayor in the 1990s, Roy Martin will be running for the 10th time in the 2021 Northampton mayoral race.
Martin said he initially decided to run for mayor after former Mayor Mary Ford suggested that he get into political work.
“I started running for mayor with Mary Ford, she said to me, ‘You have been the eyes on the street for me for a couple years and you have a very good mind so I think you would do well in politics, so why don’t you go downstairs and take out some papers.’ I did exactly that,” he said.
With some residents calling for the restructuring of the city’s public safety and law enforcement, Martin said he is against defunding the police.
“I am not in favor of defunding the Police Department because if you look back to when we had the fire bug running around, we had the Police Department working day and night on that case until it was solved. When we had a death up in Meadowbrook when a kid got shot, they worked day and night on that case,” he said.
Because of the work the department does, Martin said they need all the funding they can get.
“Whenever anything goes on here, they are right there and they are up front, so I do not think they ought to be defunded because they deserve every penny they get. They are out there working hard and doing the job they have to do. Yes, there are a few bad apples in every police force across the country but that is up to the chief to straighten that out,” he said.
Another one of Martin’s goals is that he wants to clean up Main Street and help anyone that may be suffering from addiction or alcoholism.
“One of my big goals is to clean up Main Street. I think we need people to go to programs and get sober. I have been sober for 26 years, that does not give me any credence outside of the fact that I have walked the walk, talked the talk, and I have been there. I know where they are coming from, so I want to help anyone that wants help,” he said.
If elected, Martin said he would consult residents before making any big decisions.
“The city of Northampton is made up of such a diverse group of people. I will represent everybody if you vote for me or not. If I get elected mayor, I am not the boss of the people of the city, the people of the city are my bosses, and I will listen to hear what they have to say before I do anything,” he said.
With the field full of new candidates, Martin said he has already hit the streets to start his campaign.
“I have some money backing me, I have a good treasurer, Christina Gagne. The money I have put in so far has been my own and Christina kept track of that. I have probably 175 signatures now and that is all from seeing people at the post office and Stop and Shop,” he said.
One of his biggest inspirations is his son, who lives in Belchertown.
“I have a 27-year-old son and I call him God’s miracle to me. I lost three kids in a fire on Dec. 31, 1980 and after that I did not care to live or die, I tried suicide I do not know how many times, but it eluded me. God had another reason for me, and I think it might be to be mayor. After all that, he gave me a son that I love and adore. He is one of the greatest people in the world,” Martin said.
Along with his son, Martin said he has around 20 other children from seven different marriages but cares about each and every one of them.
“I have 21 kids or more and I have been married seven times. Each one of my wives had children and I adopted them. They were my children because I adopted them and took them in, so I helped them,” he said.
Martin said he was not sure if this is his final run at the mayor’s office.