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Date: 11/17/2023
SPRINGFIELD — In a highly contested race for Springfield City Council, several incumbents reclaimed their seats, while two newcomers joined as at-large members.
Incumbents Maria Perez, Michael Fenton, Melvin Edwards, Lavar Click-Bruce, Timothy Allen and Zaida Govan all ran unopposed, reclaiming their seats for Wards 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8, respectively.
Incumbent Ward 4 City Councilor Malo Brown received 1,296 votes, claiming victory over Abdul-Kareem Kibodya, who received 690 votes.
Incumbent Ward 6 City Councilor Victor Davila was also reelected with 1,778 votes. He beat out Shanequa Fryar, who received 802 votes.
“I was humbled and moved by the overall support of the people,” Davila shared.
To the people that voted for him, he said, “Thank you for your vote and your support. I will continue to serve with all my energy and passion.”
He extended his “heartfelt congratulations” to the councilors that were reelected and said he looks forward to continuing to serve alongside them.
To the newcomers joining the council, Davila also extended congratulations, and noted that it is an “honor to be here.”
He continued, “Remember, you are a servant to the people, and you are your own person.” Davila’s advice to newcomers is to always conduct research before discussing or voting on an item.
Davila shared that he looks forward to continuing to work to improve the Forest Park area and the overall city in his next term.
For City Council at-large, 10 candidates were vying for five seats.
Incumbent Kateri Walsh was the top vote-getter with 9,569.
Walsh shared her initial reaction. “I was very excited and very grateful to the citizens for reelecting me to the City Council,” she said.
Walsh has served on the City Council for about 10 years.
She noted that this campaign was “very different” from previous ones because of the number of people who ran. Before the preliminary election, 21 candidates were competing for 10 spots on the regular election ballot.
Walsh said this made it a “more competitive” campaign than before.
“It was pretty hectic because so many good people were running,” she said.
She added that campaigning is also different now because people can vote early. Nonetheless, she noted that she still loves the “excitement” at the polls on Election Day.
To everyone that voted for her, Walsh said, “Thank you.”
She extended her congratulations to her fellow councilors that reclaimed their seats, along with the newcomers. Walsh said the councilors worked well in the past and remains certain that this will continue.
“I am grateful for the Springfield voters for having confidence in me,” she reiterated.
Jose Delgado followed Walsh in the at-large votes, receiving 8,979.
“I was excited and very humbled that my message resonated with the voters,” he said.
When asked if he was surprised where he finished as a newcomer, Delgado replied, “I didn’t expect that.”
He went on to thank the residents that voted for him. “Thank you for [your] belief in me,” he said.
Delgado shared that he is “excited” to get to work in January 2024 and is looking forward to connecting with more community members.
To his new colleagues, Delgado said he is looking forward to working with them and learning from them.
“We’re all there to do a job and make the city better,” he shared.
Delgado said he likes to do his due diligence and the residents can expect that of him.
Although he said he will not always have all the answers, he will do what he can, along with utilizing community feedback.
Incumbents Tracye Whitfield received 8,624 votes, followed by Sean Curran, who received 8,451.
Former councilor Brian Santaniello claimed fifth to reclaim a seat on the council with 8,270 votes.
The five at-large candidates who were not elected include Gerry Martin (6,971), Nicole Coakley (6,155), Juan Caraballo III (5,704), Willie Naylor (5,583) and Juan Latorre III (5,212).
Brown, Whitfield, Curran and Santaniello did not respond to a request for comment as of press time.