Ousted candidates refuse to quit race

Date: 10/27/2009

By Katelyn Gendron

Reminder Assistant Editor



AGAWAM -- The preliminary election on Oct. 6 may have weeded out a few mayoral candidates but others refuse to quit.

City Councilor Paul Cavallo and City Council Vice President Cecilia Calabrese, who finished third and fifth, respectively, in the preliminary election, have chosen to continue their campaigns for mayor as write-in candidates. Agawam resident Derek Benton and former Mayor Richard Cohen, who finished first and second, respectively, in the preliminary are the only mayoral candidates officially on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Cavallo and Calabrese told Reminder Publications they've chosen to continue their bids for mayor because of overwhelming support from constituents and their dissatisfaction with outcome of the preliminary election.

"I recognize that it takes a lot of gumption to come in fifth in the primary and think that I still have a chance. The easy way out would have been to sit on the sidelines and done nothing," Calabrese said.

"Sadly those two [Cohen and Benton] have made Agawam the butt end of too many jokes," she continued. "In order to learn from your mistakes you have to own up to them. When Mr. Cohen was mayor we had empty storefronts and lawsuits that costs the town millions of dollars."

Cavallo said he's chosen to pursue a write-in campaign because he believes he'll win given the anticipated 55 percent voter turnout.

"I have the experience necessary to navigate through tough economic times," he said. "We haven't seen the worst [yet] especially with the state cutting from Chapter 70 and 90 [funds] -- the money will have to come from us."

Cavallo added his top priorities during this fiscal crisis are emergency services, education and the Department of Public Works "because people rely on those services."

Calabrese disagreed, noting Cavallo voted in favor of the town's fiscal year 2010 (FY10) budget.

"I enjoy the support of the citizens of Agawam," she said. "He has the support of the labor unions. I voted down the [FY10] budget and Cavallo voted in favor of it. He voted in favor of raising the water use rates [and] I did not. I don't believe that he intends to cut spending and his record on the City Council [demonstrates] that.

"When the local aid cuts come down from the state every single department head and public official needs to take a salary cut with the same percentage of local aid [cuts]," Calabrese continued. "There will need to be a Prop 2 1/2 override or layoffs. Every department head and official needs to lead the way."

When asked if she had any intention of running a write-in campaign for re-election, Mayor Susan Dawson replied, "Absolutely not."

"Right now Paul Cavallo and Cece Calabrese have made the decision they are going to run," she explained. "There are not enough votes out here for them to win a write-in campaign for their own fruition ... the only thing that this write in campaigns will do is ensure that Rich Cohen will win."

Cohen said he's not concerning himself with negative press for any candidate or other campaigns, only his own.

"It's not about personalities; it's about what's best for the city as a whole. My experience is what's important," Cohen said. "[We] need somebody with experience that has done budgeting and negotiating [contracts]. There's no time in this difficult economic time for on-the-job training."

He added his experience as Agawam's mayor for eight years ensures that he can hit the ground running on his first day.

Benton explained he too remains undeterred by the recent negative press.

"[Voters] are used to that kind of mudslinging politics and the people of Agawam are sick of it," he said, adding that he thought his history of run-ins with the police would surface prior to the preliminary election.

"If that's how they [Cavallo and Calabrese] feel, that the voters' voice from the primary election is not good enough, [and] if they want to use taxpayers' money for additional clerk fees to hand-count these ballots then it's up to them. For me, the community spoke," he continued.

Benton said he's "focused on the positive" and his campaign to educate voters about his plans for the future of Agawam including green energy initiatives, financing and economic growth.

Benton and Cohen said they're eager to discuss such topics at the debate on Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. at Agawam Middle School.