HISTORY MADE: Balzotti first female mayor, Stewart first black councilor

Linda Balzotti

The Enterprise
Posted Nov 03, 2009 @ 04:45 PM

BROCKTON — Voters have made Linda Balzotti the first female mayor in Brockton's history and African-American Jass Stewart the first black city councilor. Three incumbent councilors-at-large won new terms.
Balzotti received 7,330 votes to Harrington's 5,600, for a margin of victory of about 56 percent to 43 percent.
Harrington made a brief concession speech at about 8:35 p.m. at Joe Angelo's restaurant before supporters. "I love this city. It has been an honor to serve this city for over 20 years," Harrington told the group.

Jass Stewart

Balzotti appeared before her ecstatic supporters about 10 minutes later, saying: "I look so forward to being the mayor of this city, and leading this city."
In the councilor-at-large race, the winners were: Robert F. Sullivan 7,546 votes; Thomas G. Brophy, 6,820; Todd G. Petti, 6,025; and Stewart, 5,920.
Timothy Sullivan won the Ward 7 School Committee seat vacated by Ronald Dobrowski, and incumbent Janice Beyer won another term as Ward 3 School Committee member. Michelle DuBois won reelection as Ward 6 councilor and Thomas D. Monahan took the open Ward 2 councilor seat.
In her victory speech, Balzotti said, "I know how hard all of you have worked. This has been a long journey and we've been in this together. We ran a clean positive race, we ran a race based on what we want for the city of Brockton and what we know Brockton can be.
"I'm just so grateful ... I look forward to leading this city in a positive direction. I just want to leave you with this thought. For anyone who thought their dreams weren't possible, through hard work and determination and no real political background, a girl who grew up in a ... ranch in Brockton, through hard work, just became the mayor of Brockton."
In his concession speech before supporters, Harrington also said: "I want you to know that we will do what we can to help Linda Balzotti. I wish her luck also ... . I love each and every one of you and I'll give each one of you a kiss ... It's been a long career, and I can now go off into the sunset."
In an interview after his speech with radio station WXBR 1460, the mayor was asked if he would have done anything differently during the campaign. He said: "I don't think so. We put on a heck of a campaign. I held my own in the debates."
He added he got the message that voters wanted change. Harrington also said that "across the state, incumbent mayors knew that we would have a tough time this year."

Source: http://www.enterprisenews.com/news/x896787608/High-voter-turnout-expected-at-Brocktons-West-Jr-High