Linda Balzotti was elected mayor of Brocton on Tueday. She was the first female mayor of Brocton but she was not alone. Women will lead 14 cities in Massachusetts, fully one third of the state's 42 cities. As the Boston Globe notes,from Fitchberg to Brockton, just five years ago there were only five female mayors in Massachusetts.
William Lantigua of Lawrence, Mass became the first Latino mayer ever elected in Massachusetts.
Kerry's Aides, Ayala Pressley and Setti Waren, both African-Americans became respectively the first black at-large city councilor in Boston, and the first Black mayor of Newton, Massachusetts.
More below the fold.
After Linda Balzotti's election she
expressed the hope that her victory would lend hopeto every local girl who has been told "she can't do something.
William Lantigua, the new mayor of Lawrence was born in the Dominican Republic.
He did not debate, attend forums or try to get the endorsement of the local newspaper. Instead he canvassed the neighborhoods, what the Globe writer calls "the poor side of town." But I think they aren't the poor side of town anymore, they have one of their own to listen and who understands their issues.
Two pictures shine from page 14 of the paper: Manuel Cabrera standing in front of his a pile of newspapers with a staff employment ID card around his neck and wool cap on against the cold said " You can say, "Hey, I know the mayor," and a lost of people and Pedro Almanzar, standing outside the same store Cabrera stands in front of but wearing a billed cap that might be a baseball cap but you can't see a Red Sox B so maybe not, but in all that cold he's just wearing an open collared shirt, already acclimatized to the insane Massachusetts clothing practices. (No coat until snow) and he is quoted as saying "He won because he did the legwork. He went door to door throughout the whole city."
Many observors credited President Obama's election with inspiring idealistic young professionals to pursue public office.
"He showed what could be done, what was possible," said Sarah-Ann Shaw, a Roxbury community leader.
In another article, Dennis Hale as BC pollitcal science professor pointed out that while Ten Kennedy had a reputation for luring the best and the brightest to his staff, they tended to stay in Washington. Pressley and Warren came home. It used to be that if you left for home, you didn't come back.
Both Warren and Pressley said that Kerry was involved in their campaigns and offered encourement, despite his own busy schedule.
All quotes from Boston Globe, November 5, 2009. pp. 1 and 14 Boston.com/home/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/11/05/minorities_women_win_big_on_ballot/
and Boston.com/home/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/11/05/two_victors_in_elections_credit_days_wi
th_Kerry/