The United States Presidential election appears to be sewn up, but one local House race remains in limbo. Ludlow School Committee member James “Chip” Harrington, the Republican candidate for the 7th Hampden House district, is preparing to request at least a partial hand recount of
Former Vice-President Joseph Biden will be the 46th President of the United States and Senator Kalama Harris will be Vice-President. Four days after polls closed across the nation, Biden and Harris accumulated votes in enough states to win in the Electoral College. Their victory is
by Michael Lachenmeyer Correspondent-Intern Late last February, the 7th Hampden District’s State Rep. Thomas M. Petrolati announced that he would not be seeking reelection for the seat which he has held since 1986. Democrats have dominated the 7th Hampden District for fifty years. Yet, with
Whistle Stops is an occasional series of shorter hits from the legislative campaign trail. by Michael Lachenmeyer Correspondent-Intern For the past four months, a pandemic has ravaged the country leaving more than 100,000 Americans dead and plunging the economy into depths unseen since the Great
UPDATED 6/12/20 11:32PM: To clarify when and how Dan Allie joined the 4th Hampden Race. While some campaign activities remain on ice. One thing that marches forward unabated is the ballot itself. Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin has released his office’s list of candidates
by Michael Lachenmeyer Correspondent-Intern Despite the novel coronavirus, campaigns for State Rep in Greater Springfield go on. In the 7th and 9th Hampden Districts, competitive races have begun to take shape as ambitious local leaders attempt to earn a ticket to Beacon Hill. While campaign
Thomas Petrolati’s retirement from the 7th Hampden district was one of three that mixed up state politics in the 413 this year. Preceding him out the door were Holyoke Rep Aaron Vega and Springfield Rep Jose Tosado. Westfield is poised to host an open rep
UPDATED 8:49PM: To include Oliveira’s formal declaration for the office. The rush to the exits of the Massachusetts House of Representatives continues. Thomas Petrolati, the influential Ludlow state representative whose rise, fall—and return to semi-respectability—rocked Beacon Hill a decade ago, will not seek reelection. The
This post is the fourth of several profiles of Springfield at-large School Committee candidates. School Committee members run for four-year terms and in that time a lot can change. Since she was on the ballot in 2013, at-large School Committee member Denise Hurst has seen
LUDLOW—A column of light spilled out from the old Ludlow Mill that hugs the Chicopee River. Cars jammed the narrow road once lined with rail beds to service the sprawling former factory. Inside the patrons of the brewery named after a legendary local political figure,