Mayoral elections in Springfield, Massachusetts

Elections are currently held every four years to elect the mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts.

Before 1961, mayoral elections were partisan. Starting in 1961, they have been nonpartisan.

Terms had, originally, been for a length of a single year,[1] but were later extended to two years. Starting with the 2011 mayoral election, terms were extended further to four years.

Elections prior to 1933

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1933

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In 1933, Henry Martens, a Republican was elected mayor.

1935

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In 1935, Henry Martens, a Republican was reelected.

1937

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In 1937, Roger Putnam, a Democrat was elected mayor.

1939

[edit]

In 1939, Roger Putnam, a Democrat was reelected to a second term.

1941

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In 1941, Roger Putnam, a Democrat was reelected to a third term.

1943

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In 1943, Acting Mayor J. Albin Anderson, Jr., a Republican, won election to a full mayoral term.

1945

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In 1935, Daniel B. Brunton, a Democrat was elected.

1947

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In 1947, Daniel B. Brunton, a Democrat was reelected to a second term.

1949

[edit]

In 1949, Daniel B. Brunton, a Democrat was reelected to a third term.

1951 mayoral election

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Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election, 1951

← 1949 November 6, 1951 1953 →
 
Candidate Daniel B. Brunton Vernon E. Bradley
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 25,482 23,501
Percentage 52.02% 47.98%

Mayor before election

Daniel B. Brunton
Democratic

Elected mayor

Daniel B. Brunton
Democratic

The 1951 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 6, 1951. It saw incumbent mayor Daniel B. Brunton reelected to a fourth term.

Democratic Primary

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Candidates

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1951 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral Democratic primary results[3]
October 9, 1953
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Daniel B. Brunton 7,501 89.37%
Democratic Saul Silbergleit 892 10.63%
Total votes 8,393 100

Republican Primary

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Candidates

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  • Vernon E. Bradley, member of Board of Assessors
  • Saul Silbergleit, business owner
  • Leland A. Stone, member of School Committee[4]
1951 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral Republican primary results[3]
October 9, 1953
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Vernon E. Bradley 5,964 61.93%
Republican Leland A. Stone 3,667 38.07%
Republican Saul Silbergleit 0 0%
Total votes 9,631 100

General Election

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1951 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral general election results[5]
November 6, 1951
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Daniel B. Brunton (incumbent) 25,482 52.02%
Republican Wendell P. Chamberlain 23,501 47.98%
Total votes 54,087 100

1953 mayoral election

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Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election, 1953

← 1951 November 3, 1953 1955 →
Turnout64%[6]
 
Candidate Daniel B. Brunton Wendell P. Chamberlain
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 32,839 21,248
Percentage 60.72% 39.29%

Mayor before election

Daniel B. Brunton
Democratic

Elected mayor

Daniel B. Brunton
Democratic

The 1953 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 3, 1953. It saw incumbent mayor Daniel B. Brunton reelected to a fifth term.

The primaries marked the first instance in which the city of Springfield used voting machines in all of its precincts.[7] Turnout for the primaries was over 20%.[7]

Democratic primary

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Incumbent mayor Daniel B. Brunton ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. More than 7,000 voters cast votes in the non-competitive Democratic primary.[7]

Republican primary

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In the Republican primary, Wendell P. Chamberlain (a Massachusetts state representative) defeated four candidates for the nomination. His competitors were ward 1 alderman Normand J. Beaudry, assessor Vernon E. Bradley (who had previously been the Republican nominee for mayor in 1951), ward 4 alderman and Springfield Board of Alderman president Henry Clay, and former school board member Theodore Wiel.[7]

1953 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral Republican primary results[7]
October 6, 1953
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Wendell P. Chamberlain 3,700 35.50
Republican Thedore Wiel 2,913 27.95
Republican Vernon E. Bradley 1,987 19.06
Republican Normand J. Beaudry 1,279 12.27
Republican Henry Clay 545 5.23
Total votes 10,424 100

General election

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1953 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral general election results[6]
November 3, 1953
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Daniel B. Brunton (incumbent) 32,839 60.72
Republican Wendell P. Chamberlain 21,248 39.29
Total votes 54,087 100

1955 mayoral election

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Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election, 1955

← 1953 November 8, 1955 1957 →
 
Candidate Daniel B. Brunton Leon H. Hutchins
Party Democratic Republican

Mayor before election

Daniel B. Brunton
Democratic

Elected mayor

Daniel B. Brunton
Democratic

The 1955 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 8, 1955. It saw incumbent mayor Daniel B. Brunton reelected to a sixth term.

Democratic primary

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In the Democratic primary, incumbent Daniel B. Brunton faced Hampden County registrar of deeds John P. Lynch and Springfield superintendent of streets James J. Sullivan.[8]

1955 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral Democratic primary results[9]
October 11, 1955
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Daniel B. Brunton (incumbent) 9,318 49.13
Democratic John P. Lynch 4,938 26.04
Democratic James J. Sullivan 4,711 24.84
Total votes 18,967 100

Republican primary

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In the Republican primary, businessman and Springfield Fire Commission member Leon H. Hutchins defeated Board of Assessors member William G. Macauley.[8][9][10]

1955 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral Republican primary results[9]
October 11, 1955
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Leon H. Hutchins 6,288 63.55
Republican William G. McCauley 3,607 36.45
Total votes 9,895 100

General election

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Brunton defeated Hutchins.

1957 mayoral election

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Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election, 1957

← 1955 November 5, 1957 1959 →
 
Candidate Thomas J. O'Connor C. Clement Easton
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 31,561 20,826
Percentage 60.25% 39.75%

Mayor before election

Daniel B. Brunton
Democratic

Elected mayor

Thomas J. O'Connor
Democratic

The 1957 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 5, 1957. It saw incumbent mayor Daniel B. Brunton unseated, losing renomination in the Democratic primary to Thomas J. O'Connor, who went on to win the general election.

O'Connor became the youngest mayor in the city's history.[11]

Democratic primary

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Incumbent mayor Daniel B. Brunton lost renomination to Massachusetts state representative Thomas J. O'Connor in a landslide, losing in all of the city's 68 voting precincts.[11]

When Brunton first announced his campaign against the longtime mayor, his odds of succeeding were seen as slim.[11]

Significant issues debated in the primary included the city's police commission, off-street parking, and businesses leaving the city's downtown.[12]

1957 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral Democratic primary results[12]
October 8, 1957
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Thomas J. O'Connor 15,380 66.36
Democratic Daniel B. Brunton (incumbent) 7,796 33.64
Total votes 23,176 100

Republican primary

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1957 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral Republican primary results[12]
October 8, 1957
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican C. Clement Easton 5,068 77.09
Republican Norman E. Cowles 644 9.80
Republican Harriet C. Teta 537 8.17
Republican Albert B. Vincent 325 4.94
Total votes 6,574 100

General election

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1957 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral general election results[13]
November 5, 1957
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Thomas J. O'Connor 31,561 60.25
Republican C. Clement Easton 20,826 39.75
Total votes 52,387 100

1959 mayoral election

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Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election, 1959

← 1957 November 3, 1959 1961 →
 
Candidate Thomas J. O'Connor Paul E. Affleck
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 39,409 11,424
Percentage 74.72% 21.66%

Mayor before election

Thomas J. O'Connor
Democratic

Elected mayor

Thomas J. O'Connor
Democratic

The 1959 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 3, 1959. It saw the reelection of incumbent mayor Thomas J. O'Connor.

This was Springfield's final partisan mayoral election, as voters also voted to approve a move to nonpartisan elections.[14][15] The measure that did so also switched from a weak mayor form of government to a strong mayor form.[15]

Democratic primary

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In a rematch of the 1957 Democratic primary, incumbent mayor Thomas J. O'Connor was challenged by former mayor Daniel B. Brunton. O'Connor handily defeated O'Connor, leading him in all 66 of the city's 68 voting precincts.[16]

Results
1959 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral Democratic primary results[16]
October 6, 1959
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Thomas J. O'Connor (incumbent) 21,975 76.82
Democratic Daniel B. Brunton 6,630 23.18
Total votes 28,605 100
Results by ward[16]
Ward Brunton O'Connor Total Votes
Votes % Votes %
1st 617 27.39% 1,636 72.61% 2,253
2nd 1,557 23.21% 5,152 76.79% 6,709
3rd 1,450 37.28% 2,439 62.72% 3,889
4th 484 33.04% 981 66.96% 1,465
5th 431 22.97% 1,445 77.03% 1,876
6th 476 13.78% 2,978 86.22% 3,454
7th 791 20.80% 3,012 79.20% 3803
8th 824 16.30% 4,232 83.70% 5,056

Republican primary

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Paul E. Affleck, the city councilman from the city's 5th ward, won the Republican primary unopposed.[16]

General election

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Running as an independent candidate was Daniel B. Brunton, who had failed to win the Democratic primary.[17]

1959 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral general election results[15]
November 3, 1959
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Thomas J. O'Connor (incumbent) 39,409 74.72
Republican Paul E. Affleck 11,424 21.66
Independent Daniel B. Brunton 1,910 3.62
Total votes 52,743 100

1961 mayoral election

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Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election, 1961

← 1959 November 7, 1961 1963 →
 
Candidate Charles Ryan Thomas J. O'Connor
Popular vote 28,999 26,471
Percentage 52.28% 47.72%

Mayor before election

Thomas J. O'Connor
Democratic

Elected mayor

Charles Ryan
Democratic

The 1961 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 7, 1961, and was preceded by a primary on October 10. It saw Charles Ryan defeat incumbent mayor Thomas J. O'Connor. It was the city's first nonpartisan mayoral election

Candidates

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Campaign

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The 1960 reassessment of all real estate in Springfield led to a furor when one-third of the city's homeowners received increases in their property tax over the previous year.[21] On October 11, 1960, 4,500 residents attended a meeting at Springfield Auditorium where members of the Board of Assessors attempted to explain the tax increase. Each member was booed off the stage before they could speak. O'Connor, who had no role in the property reassessment, failed to quiet the crowd and police were called in.[22] O'Connor planned to cut 578 jobs from the 1961 budget to reduce the city's taxes, but reversed this decision due to a lack of public support.[23]

O'Connor's general election defeat was considered an upset.[18]

Two weeks after O'Connor's loss, the city's percentage assessment system, which had been a major issue during the campaign, was declared unconstitutional by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.[24]

Results

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Primary
1961 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral primary results[20]
October 10, 1961
Candidate Votes %
Thomas J. O'Connor (incumbent) 14,563 34.54
Charles Ryan 9,295 22.04
Raymond N. Tuller Jr. 7,874 18.67
John P. Lynch 5,554 13.17
Armand N. Tancrati 3,214 7.62
Arthur J. McKenna 1,282 3.04
Norman E. Cowles 177 0.42
Bernard M. Lapointe 112 0.27
Arbold R. Craven 97 0.23
Total votes 42,168 100
General election
1961 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral general election results[18]
November 7, 1961
Candidate Votes %
Charles Ryan 28,999 52.28
Thomas J. O'Connor (incumbent) 26,471 47.72
Total votes 55,470 100

1963 mayoral election

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Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election, 1963

← 1961 November 6, 1963 1965 →
 
Candidate Charles Ryan John P. Lynch
Popular vote 32,063 11,909
Percentage 72.92% 27.08%

Mayor before election

Charles Ryan
Democratic

Elected mayor

Charles Ryan
Democratic

The 1963 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 6, 1963, and was preceded by a primary on October 8. It saw incumbent mayor Charles Ryan reelected.

Candidates

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Campaign

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Incumbent mayor Charles Ryan and registrar of deeds John P. Lynch were considered the two major contenders. A third candidate in the primary, Arthur R. Caney, was regarded as a political unknown.[26] Ryan and Lynch were the two who advanced to the general election.[26]

Both Lynch and Ryan identified as Democrats.[27] Ryan's campaign was managed by his brother, Donald Ryan.[27]

The campaign turned tense when, eight days before the general election, Lynch accused Ryan of being an advocate of busing, bringing a racially-charged issue into the mix.[27] The day before the election, in a television appearance, Ryan alleged that bussing had already started, and that Ryan had approved it.[27] On the day of the election, the Springfield Union ran two full-paged advertisements which showed black children departing school buses at Memorial School in the fashionable, and largely white, East Forest Park neighborhood. The ads, again claimed that Ryan had begun busing in the city.[27] Ryan responded by making a series of radio appearances on Election Day. In one he claimed that the photos actually were showing black children that had been transported to the school, not for the sake of racial integration, but due to overcrowding at schools in parts of the cities that were predominantly black.[27] He also came out against using bussing to resolve de facto segregation.[27]

Results

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Primary
1963 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral primary results[25]
October 8, 1963
Candidate Votes %
Charles Ryan (incumbent) 11,906 57
John P. Lynch 7,284
Arthur R. Caney
Total votes 100
General election
1963 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral general election results.[27]
November 6, 1963
Candidate Votes %
Charles Ryan (incumbent) 32,063 72.92
John P. Lynch 11,909 27.08
Total votes 43,972 100

1965 mayoral election

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Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election, 1965

← 1963 November 2, 1965 1967 →
 
Candidate Charles Ryan James Grimaldi

Mayor before election

Charles Ryan
Democratic

Elected mayor

Charles Ryan
Democratic

The 1965 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 2, 1965, and was preceded by a primary on October 4. It saw the reelection of Charles Ryan to a third term.

The primary, held October 4, had been moved from its original date of October 5. Unusually, this made Election Day a Monday instead of a Tuesday. The change of date was made to avoid the election overlapping with the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.[28]

Candidates

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Campaign

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In the general election Ryan faced state representative and Springfield city councilor James Grimaldi. He faced several additional candidates in the primary.[29] In the primary, Charles E. Cobb was the first black candidate to run for mayor in the city's history.[29] Frances L. Shea was among the earliest women to run for Springfield's mayoralty.[29]

A major issue in the campaign was how to resolve inequality in the quality of the schools buildings serving the city's largely non-white neighborhoods compared those serving its largely-white neighborhoods.[28][29] Mayor Ryan proposed limited open enrollment, and hoped for the state to pay for the expense of busing. He felt that black groups had failed to assist in making open enrollment successful in the city. Grimaldi hoped to resolve these inequalities by replacing the city's older school buildings, many of which were located in largely black neighborhoods.[29] Rojer J. Lemelin pledged to follow state's racial imbalance law.[29] Charles E. Cobb argued that students at Buckingham Junior High School (a 63.2% non-white school) were 2.5 years behind students at junior high schools with predominantly white student bodies. He argued against open enrollment, saying that it asked, "the very people least able to pay" to personally finance their children's transportation.[29] Frances L. Shea promised to follow the state's racial imbalance law, but argued that, "all laws are flexible and we should make them fit our situation".[29]

Other major issues included taxes, the proposed closure of the Springfield Armory, and allegations of police brutality in the city.[28]

1967 mayoral election

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Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election, 1967

← 1965 November 7, 1967 1969 →
 
Candidate Frank Harlan Freedman James Grimaldi

Mayor before election

Charles Ryan
Democratic

Elected mayor

Frank Harlan Freedman
Republican

The 1967 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 7, 1967. It saw the election of Frank Harlan Freedman. Incumbent mayor Charles Ryan did not seek reelection, instead accepting a lecturing job at the Springfield College.[30][31][32] It saw the elect of Frank Harlan Freedman.[30][33]

Candidates

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Campaign

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While the election was officially nonpartisan, Freeman was a Republican and Grimaldi was a Democrat.[33][32] Freedman became the city's first Jewish mayor. If elected, Grimaldi would have been its first Italian mayor.[32]

1969 mayoral election

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Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election, 1969

← 1967 November 4, 1969 1971 →
 
Candidate Frank Harlan Freedman William J. Kingston
Popular vote 32,442 8,499
Percentage 79.24% 20.76%

Mayor before election

Frank Harlan Freedman
Republican

Elected mayor

Frank Harlan Freedman
Republican

The 1969 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 4, 1969, and was preceded by a primary held on October 7, 1969. It saw the reelection of Frank Harlan Freedman.

Candidates

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Campaign

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Democratic state representative James Grimaldi was a late entrant into the race.[35]

Frederick Hurst's performance in the primary was regarded to have been surprisingly poor. He was one of the earliest black candidates to run for mayor of Springfield.[35]

Freedman's reelection in the general election was aided by popular approval of how he had recently handled a public transit strike and welfare-related protests.[34]

Results

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Primary
1969 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral primary election results[35]
October 7, 1969
Candidate Votes %
Frank H. Freedman (incumbent) 12,974 62.09
William J. Kingston 4,385 20.99
James L. Grimaldi 2,886 13.81
Frederick A. Hurst 651 3.12
Total votes 20,896 100
General election
1971 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral general election results[34]
November 4, 1969
Candidate Votes %
Frank H. Freedman (incumbent) 32,442 79.24
William J. Kingston 8,499 20.76
Total votes 40,941 100

1971 mayoral election

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Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election, 1971

← 1969 November 2, 1971 1973 (special) →
 
Candidate Frank Harlan Freedman James Grimaldi
Popular vote 36,205 13,635
Percentage 72.64% 27.36%

Mayor before election

Frank Harlan Freedman
Republican

Elected mayor

Frank Harlan Freedman
Republican

The 1971 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 2, 1971, and was preceded by a primary on October 5, 1971. It saw the reelection of Frank Harlan Freedman to a third term.

Candidates

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Results

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Primary
1971 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral primary election results[39]
October 5, 1971
Candidate Votes %
Frank H. Freedman (incumbent) 11,111 59.41
James L. Grimaldi 5,393 28.84
Socrates T. Babacas 1,018 5.44
Douglas D. Ariel 986 5.27
Wallace D. Hindes 195 1.05
Total votes 18,703 100
General election
1971 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral general election results[40]
November 2, 1971
Candidate Votes %
Frank H. Freedman (incumbent) 36,205 72.64
James L. Grimaldi 13,635 27.36
Total votes 49,840 100

1973 mayoral special election

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Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral special election, 1973

← 1971 January 30, 1973 1973 →
 
Candidate William C. Sullivan Paul Mason
Popular vote 13,738 2,790
Percentage 83.09% 16.87%

Mayor before election

Theodore Dimauro (acting)

Elected mayor

William C. Sullivan

The 1973 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral special election was held on January 30, 1973, to fill the vacancy left after Frank Harlan Freedman resigned as mayor in October 1972 to accept an appointment as a U.S. district court judge.[41] The election saw the election of William C. Sullivan.

Paul Mason was only the third black candidate to run for mayor in the city's history. He openly regarded his candidacy as more an effort to build up a following to help him run more successfully for the office two years later.[41]

Candidates

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  • Paul Mason, Springfield city councilor[41]
  • William C. Sullivan, Springfield city clerk[41]

Results

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1973 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral special election results[42]
January 30, 1973
Candidate Votes %
William C. Sullivan 13,738 83.09
Paul R. Mason 2,790 16.87
Theodore Dimauro (incumbent) 3 0
William O'Neil 1 0
Schmidt & Anderson 2 0
Total votes 16,534 100

1973 mayoral election

[edit]
Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election, 1973

← 1973 (special) November 6, 1973 1975 →
 
Candidate William C. Sullivan Arnold B. Craven
Popular vote 22,082 2,005
Percentage 91.68% 8.32%

Mayor before election

William C. Sullivan

Elected mayor

William C. Sullivan

The 1973 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 6, 1973. It saw the reelection of incumbent William C. Sullivan (first elected earlier that year in a special election) to his first full term.

Because only two candidates ran, there was no need for a primary election.

Candidates

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  • Arnold B. Craven, 1961 mayoral candidate
  • William C. Sullivan, incumbent mayor

Results

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1971 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral general election results[43]
November 6, 1973
Candidate Votes %
William C. Sullivan (incumbent) 22,082 91.68
Arnold B. Craven 2,005 8.32
Total votes 24,087 100

1975 mayoral election

[edit]
Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election, 1975

← 1973 November 4, 1975 1977 →
 
Candidate William C. Sullivan Stephen Desmond
Popular vote 20,404 2,685
Percentage 88.37% 11.63%

Mayor before election

William C. Sullivan

Elected mayor

William C. Sullivan

The 1975 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 4, 1975, and was preceded by a primary on October 5, 1975. It saw the reelection of William C. Sullivan to a second full, and third overall, term.

Candidates

[edit]
  • Stephen Desmond
  • Wallace D. Hindes
  • Peter Charles LeLuce
  • William C. Sullivan, incumbent mayor

Campaign

[edit]

Stephen Desmond was a first-time candidate for public office, and ran as a U.S. Labor Party-backed candidate.[44][45]

Results

[edit]
Primary
1975 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral primary election results[44]
October 5, 1975
Candidate Votes %
William C. Sullivan (incumbent) 9,270 86.44
Stephen Desmond 661 6.16
Wallace D. Hindes 457 4.26
Peter Charles LeLuce 336 3.13
Total votes 10,724 20
General election
1975 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral general election results[45][46]
November 4, 1975
Candidate Votes %
William C. Sullivan (incumbent) 20,404 88.37
Stephen Desmond 2,685 11.63
Total votes 23,089

1977 mayoral election

[edit]
Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election, 1977

← 1975 November 8, 1977 1979 →
 
Candidate Theodore E. Dimauro James Grimaldi
Popular vote 20,644 8,115
Percentage 71.78% 28.22%

Mayor before election

William C. Sullivan

Elected mayor

Theodore E. Dimauro

The 1977 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 8, 1977, and was preceded by a primary on October 11. It saw the election of Theodore E. Dimauro. Incumbent mayor William C. Sullivan did not seek reelection.[19]

Candidates

[edit]
  • Theodore E. Dimauro, Springfield City Council president,[47] Springfield city councilor since 1970,[19] member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council since 1975,[47][48] former acting mayor (1972–1973), and former Springfield School Committee member[19]
  • Winston Gaskins
  • James L. Grimaldi, Massachusetts state representative since 1965, former Springfield city councilor; 1965, 1967, 1969 and 1971 mayoral candidate
  • Wallace Hindes (write-in)
  • William Kelly
  • John P. Lynch, Hampden County registrar of deeds since 1952,[19] 1972 United States Senate candidate;[19] 1955, 1961 and 1963 mayoral candidate
  • John D. McCarthy

Campaign

[edit]

Theodore E. Dimauro campaigned on revitalizing the city's downtown, and talked about pursuing further public-private partnerships to accomplish this.[47]

James L. Grimaldi, an experienced elected official (with 12 years experience on the Springfield City Council and 13 years experience in the Massachusetts House of Representatives) had long aspired to be Springfield's mayor, having run four times previously.[47] By 1977, Grimaldi was 66 years of age, and likely saw the election as his last chance to win the city's mayoralty.[47] He campaigned hard against Dimauro, accusing him of being a puppet for big business, of valuing the city's downtown at the expense of the remainder of the city, and criticizing him for his vote as a member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council to confirm a black woman to be an associate justice of the Boston Municipal Court.[47]

With both Dimauro and Grimaldi being Italian-Americans, the general election matchup guaranteed that the city would elect its first mayor of Italian descent.[47]

Results

[edit]
Primary
1977 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral primary election results[49][19]
October 11, 1977
Candidate Votes %
Theodore E. Dimauro 13,286 65.75
James L. Grimaldi 3,128 15.48
John Pierce Lynch 2,825 13.98
Winston J. Gaskins 470 2.33
John D. McCarthy 282 1.40
William J. Kelly 216 1.07
Wallace Hindes 1 0.00
Total votes 20,208 100
General election
1977 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral general election results[50]
November 8, 1971
Candidate Votes %
Theodore E. Dimauro 20,644 71.78
James L. Grimaldi 8,115 28.22
Total votes 28,759 100

1979 mayoral election

[edit]
Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election, 1979

← 1977 November 6, 1979 1981 →
 
Candidate Theodore Dimauro Winston Gaskins
Popular vote 20,553 3,518
Percentage 85.39% 14.62%

Mayor before election

Theodore Dimauro

Elected mayor

Theodore Dimauro

The 1979 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 6, 1979, and was preceded by a primary on October 9, 1979. It saw the reelection of Theodore Dimauro to a second term.

Candidates

[edit]
  • Theodore E. Dimauro, incumbent mayor since 1978
  • Winston Gaskins, 1979 mayoral candidate
  • Wallace D Hindes

Results

[edit]
Primary
1979 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral primary election results[51]
October 9, 1979
Candidate Votes %
Theodore E. Dimauro (incumbent) 4,696 80.29
Winston S. Gaskins 782 13.37
Wallace D Hindes 371 6.34
Total votes 5,849 100
General election
1979 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral general election results[52]
November 6, 1979
Candidate Votes %
Theodore E. Dimauro (incumbent) 20,553 85.39
Winston S. Gaskins 3,518 14.62
Total votes 24,071 100

1981 mayoral election

[edit]
Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election, 1981

← 1979 November 3, 1981 1983 →
 
Candidate Theodore Dimauro Winston Gaskins
Popular vote 24,724 14,017
Percentage 63.82% 36.18%

Mayor before election

Theodore Dimauro

Elected mayor

Theodore Dimauro

The 1981 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 3, 1981, and was preceded by a primary on October 6, 1981. It saw the reelection of Theodore Dimauro to a third term.

Results

[edit]
Primary
1981 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral primary election results[53]
October 6, 1981
Candidate Votes %
Theodore E. Dimauro (incumbent) 10,693 48.40
Peter J. Jurzynski 8,237 37.28
Timothy T. Collins 2,891 13.09
Joseph B. Flynn 210 0.95
Joseph D. Harrington 63 0.29
Total votes 22,094 100
General election
1981 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral general election results[54]
November 3, 1981
Candidate Votes %
Theodore E. Dimauro (incumbent) 24,724 63.82
Peter J. Jurzynski 14,017 36.18
Total votes 38,741 100

1983 mayoral election

[edit]
Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election, 1983

← 1981 November 3, 1983 1985 →
 
Candidate Richard Neal William Montana
Popular vote 25,462 4,373
Percentage 85.34% 14.66%

Mayor before election

Theodore Dimauro

Elected mayor

Richard Neal
Democratic

The 1983 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 3, 1983, and was preceded by a primary on September 20, 1983. It saw the election of Richard Neal.

Facing a prospective challenge from city councilor Richard Neal, incumbent mayor Theodore Dimauro opted to instead retire.[55]

Candidates

[edit]
  • Joseph Harrington, 1981 mayoral candidate
  • William G. Montana
  • Richard Neal, Springfield city councilor since 1979

Results

[edit]
Primary
1983 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral primary election results[56]
September 20, 1983
Candidate Votes %
Richard E. Neal 11,315 85.58
William G. Montana 1,113 8.42
Joseph D. Harrington 793 6.00
Total votes 13,221 100
General election
1983 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral general election results[57]
November 3, 1983
Candidate Votes %
Richard E. Neal 25,462 85.34
William G. Montana 4,373 14.66
Total votes 29,835 100

1985 mayoral election

[edit]
Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election, 1985

← 1983 November 5, 1985 1987 →
 
Candidate Richard Neal Joseph Harrington
Popular vote 19,382 1,658
Percentage 92.12% 7.88%

Mayor before election

Richard Neal
Democratic

Elected mayor

Richard Neal
Democratic

The 1985 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 5, 1985. It saw the reelection of Richard Neal.

Candidates

[edit]
  • Joseph Harrington, 1981 and 1983 mayoral candidate
  • Richard Neal, incumbent mayor since 1983

Results

[edit]
1985 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral general election results[58]
November 5, 1985
Candidate Votes %
Richard E. Neal (incumbent) 19,382 92.12
Joseph D. Harrington 1,658 7.88
Total votes 21,040 100

1987 mayoral election

[edit]
Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election, 1987

← 1985 November 3, 1987 1989 (special) →
 
Candidate Richard Neal Joseph Harrington
Popular vote 20,612 1,879
Percentage 91.65% 8.36%

Mayor before election

Richard Neal
Democratic

Elected mayor

Richard Neal
Democratic

The 1987 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election was held on November 3, 1987. It saw the reelection of incumbent Richard Neal to a third term.

Candidates

[edit]
  • Joseph Harrington, 1981, 1983, and 1985 mayoral candidate
  • Richard Neal, incumbent mayor since 1983

Results

[edit]
1987 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral general election results[59]
November 3, 1987
Candidate Votes %
Richard E. Neal (incumbent) 20,612 91.65
Joseph D. Harrington 1,879 8.36
Total votes 22,491 100

1989 mayoral special election

[edit]
Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral special election, 1989

← 1987 April 25, 1989 1989 →
 
Candidate Mary Hurley Vincent DiMonaco
Popular vote 16,636 7,536
Percentage 68.82% 31.18%

Mayor before election

Vincent DiMonaco (acting)

Elected mayor

Mary Hurley

The 1989 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral special election was held on April 25, 1989, and was preceded by a primary on March 21, 1989. It was held to fill the vacancy left after mayor Richard Neal resigned to become a U.S. congressman.[60] The election saw the election of the city's first female mayor Mary Hurley, who defeated acting mayor Vincent MiMonaco.[60]

Candidates

[edit]
  • Vincent DiMonaco, acting mayor and Springfield city councilor since 1972[60]
  • Joseph Harrington, 1981, 1983, 1985, and 1987 mayoral candidate
  • Mary Hurley, Springfield city councilor since 1980[60][61]

Campaign

[edit]

In his brief period as acting mayor, DiMonaco had taken a tough stance on drugs, and expressed criticism of what he deemed to be "insufficient" financial support coming from the state and federal governments. He also, with 18 years experience on the City Council and prior experience on the Springfield School Committee, made an effort to portray himself as the more experienced candidate[61]

Hurley accused DiMonaco of "flip-flopping" on various issues, such as whether the National Guard should be used to fight against illegal drugs in the city, which he had previously advocated for, but since walked back his support for.[61]

DiMonaco accused Hurley of receiving the back of a Richard Neal-led political machine. Neal, however, remained publicly neutral in the election, and questioned DiMonaco's assertion that a political machine existed in the city.[62]

Hurley raised $240,000 for her campaign, almost five times as much as DiMonaco managed to raise for his.[60] This fundraising advantage enabled her to run a last-minute battery of television advertisements.[60]

Results

[edit]
Primary
1989 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral special election primary results[63]
March 21, 1989
Candidate Votes %
Mary Hurley 10,331 64.66
Vincent DiMonaco (incumbent) 5,318 33.28
Joseph D. Harrington 325 2.03
Robert Markel 2 0
Dan Williams 1 0
"No name" 1 0
Total votes 15,978 100
General election
1983 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral general election results[60]
April 25, 1989
Candidate Votes %
Mary Hurley 16,636 68.82
Vincent DiMonaco (incumbent) 7,536 31.18
Total votes 24,172 100