Sarno on ballot seeking seventh term as Springfield’s mayor

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - The race for mayor in Springfield now officially includes current mayor Domenic Sarno.

Sarno, Springfield’s longest-serving mayor, is now looking to extend his reign as he announced that he’s running for a seventh term as mayor of Springfield. He told Western Mass News that he’s more than ready to hit the campaign trail.

“I will be making a formal kick-off announcement in the very near future and I’m ready to go, baby. I love it, i live it 24/7,” Sarno said.

Sarno now joins State Representative Orlando Ramos, Springfield City Council President Jesse Lederman, Springfield City Council member and former City Council President Justin Hurst and local psychotherapist Dr. David Ciampi.

We caught up with the four other candidates to see how they’re feeling about the race so far. In a statement sent to Western Mass News, Lederman said, “Having already qualified for the ballot earlier this month, my team remains focused on campaigning across the city of Springfield to share my record and vision while listening to the ideas and concerns of our neighbors.”

Hurst and Ciampi both see changes ahead for the city if elected.

“Either you want new energy, change, and someone that is willing to put in the work to make Springfield a place that is inclusive and involves everybody in the city of Springfield or you don’t,” Hurst added.

“A lot of people feel that the city has been stuck and it’s important to find different ways to bring the city back to life,” Ciampi explained.

Meanwhile, Ramos told Western Mass News that he think’s it’s time for someone new to lead.

“It’s obvious that his ideas [Mayor Sarno] are not working and we need a new direction. Someone with new ideas. We have to make our city safe for families and for businesses,” Ramos said.

Sarno told Western Mass News that, if elected, he hopes to continue work on current projects that he believes are leading Springfield on the right track.

“I worry about running my own campaign and that’s what we do,” Sarno explained.

Sarno added that housing, economic development projects, and court system reform are some of the biggest issues that he will be touching on in the months ahead.

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