Campaign Media
June 18, 2025
WHMP Talk the Talk
Al Simon and Meg from Support Our Schools (SOS) were interviewed by host Bill Newman on Talk the Talk radio. Newman seemed far more interested in vociferously declaring his strong disagreement with everything about SOS than he was in helping his audience learn more about its mission to fully fund our city schools. We were however, commended on our 'decorum'.
https://whmp.com/podcasts/elevating-conversations/
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Daily Hampshire Gazette June 4, 2025
Election season continues to heat up in Northampton, as number of candidates for council, school committee up to 28
Staff Writer Published: 06-03-2025 5:25 PM. Northampton MA
NORTHAMPTON — Summer has yet to officially begin, but municipal elections in the city continue to heat up as 28 candidates have already pulled nomination papers to run for positions on the City Council or School Committee.
Many incumbents also have announced they will not seek reelection this fall, meaning the two political bodies will have several new faces regardless of the outcome.
That’s a far cry from the municipal election in 2023, where many candidates ran unopposed.
With the deadline for pulling nomination papers still seven weeks away, here are some of the latest updates regarding the candidates and elections.
Council at-large race
A four-way race is shaping up for two at-large positions on the City Council, after two new candidates — Benjamin Spencer and Meg Robbins — announced their intention to run in the last few weeks.
Spencer and Robbins are joining incumbent Garrick Perry and challenger Deborah Henson, who had previously announced plans their plans seek the positions. Meanwhile, the other incumbent, Marissa Elkins, is not seeking reelection.
Spencer, who held a kickoff event for his campaign at the Florence Civic Center on Monday, said he hoped to provide the public with greater understanding of how the city functions with his candidacy.
“I want to help the City of Northampton live up to its potential. This means planning for both the present and the future at the same time,” Spencer wrote in a guest column in the Gazette. “Like every other city and town, Northampton has to balance the needs of our community with the realities of the budget.”
Spencer also expressed support for several city projects sponsored by Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra, such as the planned Resiliency Hub and Picture Main Street.
Robbins, who formerly served on the School Committee before losing her spot in 2023, has been critical of Sciarra’s administration regarding the school budget, speaking at several council and school committee meetings in support of higher school spending.
On her official campaign website, Robbins said part of her decision to run was also in part a reaction against the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, and for the city to recommit to its progressive values.
“I believe strongly that resistance starts at home and Northampton acting locally is integral to systemic nationwide change,” Robbins wrote. “Education is the foundational building block to ensuring all of this.”
Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.
