By the time the Massachusetts legislature is sworn in next January, three of Springfield’s members of the House of Representatives shall have been serving for less than three years. Two new reps from the city were elected two years ago and in January a third
…And the World: We begin today in Brazil where impeached President Dilma Rousseff is battling to save her political career. The lower house of the Brazilian legislature voted earlier this year to impeach Rousseff for fudging budget numbers—the nation faces a fiscal nightmare brought on,
SPRINGFIELD—Fairly or not, Thomas Ashe’s political scorecard perhaps invites charges of being a political climber. An ambitious run for mayor and a stab at Clerk of Courts were unsuccessful. But unlike those other bids, the four-term councilor appears to have many of the goods voters Hampden County
SPRINGFIELD—Under ticket races in Western Massachusetts have not been entirely ignored this cycle. Yet given the contentious Hampden Sheriff primary and the national war for the White House, others have flown under the radar. Nevertheless, the race for the 8th District Governor’s Council race has had heat and, in
…And the World: We begin today in France, where a former President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced he will again run for the presidency in next year’s election after failing to win reelection four years ago. François Hollande, who beat Sarkozy in the 2012 election, is polling in
The High Sheriff in the Valley This post is the second in a series about the end of Michael Ashe’s 42-year tenure as Hampden Sheriff. SPRINGFIELD—This year’s sheriff’s clambake may not be the last in Hampden County ever, but it is Michael Ashe’s last at
In an email to supporters last week, Governor’s Councilor Michael Albano appeared to take aim at one judicial nominee that had represented the opposing side in a legal case to which Albano was a party. The Appeals Court nominee, Peter Sacks, currently the State Solicitor
…And the World: We begin today in Ukraine, where secret ledgers maintained by the country’s former president, Viktor Yanukovych, have been uncovered. They show huge cash payments that were meant for Paul Manafort according to The New York Times. Manafort is real estate tycoon, provocateur and
SPRINGFIELD—For whatever reason, Hampden County has a number of missing people—at the polls. Data from 2012 indicates that the county, which contains the commonwealth’s third largest city, falls well below the state’s turnout level. The problem is particularly pronounced here—though not unique countywide—but efforts are
…And the World: We begin today in South Africa, where elections last week continue to roil the political status quo. While the African National Congress won a majority of the vote in municipal elections, it still represented a huge setback, it vote share dropping off