Senate seat may be up for grabs

Date: 3/17/2010

March 17, 2010.

By Katelyn Gendron

Reminder Assistant Editor



WEST SPRINGFIELD -- State Sen. Stephen Buoniconti's seat may be up for grabs this election season.

Buoniconti, who represents the Hampden District -- Agawam, Chicopee, Springfield and West Springfield -- has yet to take out nomination papers, according to the Secretary of State's office, and four Republicans may vie for the seat: Kenneth Condon of West Springfield, Robert Magovern and Vincenzo Tirone of Agawam and Joel McAuliffe of Chicopee.

"I'm a firm believer in democracy and we don't have any democracy when meeting the needs of our people because it's a one party senate and a one party legislature," Magovern, an Agawam City Councilor, said of his need to run for Senate.

He added the increasing burden on taxpayers must end and he is committed to bringing local aid back to the district if elected.

"We're reverting back to 'Tax-achusetts' as it was under [Gov. Michael] Dukakis," Magovern said. "We had Republican governors for many years that were able to reduce taxes and increase the rainy day fund. [Gov. Mitt] Romney had $3 billion in the rainy day fund and [legislators] have since gone through it."

Magovern noted his background as a city councilor and trustee of Westfield State College as references.

"I served Agawam in the role of a city councilor and I know a little bit about government and we're just not getting it taken care of ... we don't get our fair share of state and federal dollars," he said.

Magovern noted that if elected to the Senate he would not step down from the City Council. "I take my responsibilities as a city councilor very seriously," he added.

Condon noted his vast experience in the education and financial sectors as references for his candidacy. He is currently the chief financial officer at American International College (AIC) in Springfield and served as vice president for financial affairs at Boston University for 26 years prior to AIC.

He said his top priority would be the state's budget and reinstating local aid.

"With my ability to take a close, educated look at the budgets submitted by the house and the senate I will be able to bring them more in line with reality," Condon explained. "I'm very much against wasteful spending.

"We were just informed the Registry will charge $5 to speak to an employee and will charge by sentence and word," he continued. "It's things like that that have convinced me that I might be able to help the people of Massachusetts."

Condon noted he would like to bring a fresh perspective to the Senate as well. "I think the Democratic Party has a monopoly on this state and I think that it's healthy to express other viewpoints," he said.

Condon insisted that he's just a "regular guy" in spite of his extensive personal and professional accomplishments, which include time as chair of the Audit Committee of Insmed Pharmaceuticals Inc., a member of the FBI Citizens Academy, member of the Colony Club in Springfield and former chair and director of Bay Funds, a $2.8 billion mutual fund group.

Buoniconti, McAuliffe and Tirone could not be reached for comment by press time.

Candidates must obtain 150 signatures by April 27 to be eligible for the preliminary or general elections on Sept. 14 and Nov. 2, respectively.