Two experienced politicians bested first time candidates in races for mayor in two western Massachusetts cities Tuesday. But in one case, it was a squeaker.
Don Humason, the State Senator who has held elected office since 2003, won a narrow unofficial victory in the race for mayor of Westfield over first-time candidate Mike McCabe, a captain in the Westfield Police Department.
Humason said he and McCabe had spoken by phone and agreed not to claim victory, or concede defeat until absentee ballots are counted and the election results are certified by the City Clerk, a process that is expected to take a couple of days.
Thanking his supporters, Humason said he had prepared two speeches – one for victory and one for defeat – but not a third for an undeclared outcome.
McCabe, who said running for mayor was a “wonderful experience,” said he would likely not ask for a recount if the 97-vote margin holds.
Incumbent Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan did not run for another term. In fact, he plans to resign this Friday to take a job with the administration of Gov. Charlie Baker. He’ll be succeeded on an interim basis by the Westfield City Council President until the newly-elected mayor is sworn into office in January.
If Humason is declared the winner of the mayor’s office, he plans to resign from the State Senate in January, which would further deplete the already small Republican ranks in that chamber.
The next mayor of Chicopee will be John Vieau. The current City Council president bested Joseph Morissette, a former police officer and current high school vice principal, who was making his first bid for public office.