NORTHAMPTON — Ryan O’Donnell handily beat opponent Marlene Morin in the city’s special election Thursday, according to unofficial numbers from the city clerk’s office.
About 13 percent of the city’s 20,484 registered voters participated, casting a total of 2,576 votes — 1,900 for O’Donnell and 646 for Morin.
Once the vote is certified, O’Donnell will vacate his position as Ward 3 councilor and assume the at-large seat left open by Jesse Adams.
City Clerk Wendy Mazza said she intends to stall the certification process in order to time the now-necessary Ward 3 election with the presidential election on Nov. 8.
“I’m certainly going to try to do it that way,” Mazza said.
Shortly after Mazza announced the tallies, O’Donnell said he will do everything he can to ensure the timing coincides with the November election, saying it will save the city money and enhance voter turnout.
“That’s the first conversation I will have tomorrow,” he said, adding that he’ll be talking with Mazza, City Solicitor Alan Seewald and potentially the secretary of state.
Going door to door during the campaign gave O’Donnell “a new perspective” that he’s eager to bring to the council floor, he told the Gazette, referencing affordable housing and the downtown economy.
“An issue was made of me being a renter,” he said. “I know many people who are in my position who are struggling to pay their rent.”
O’Donnell said he aims to expand zoning regulations to allow for more affordable housing units.
“I want to see things that are built that allow people of all income levels to live in Northampton,” O’Donnell said.
For the downtown economy, O’Donnell said “I want to experiment with some innovative ideas,” including the possibility of bringing high-speed municipal broadband to the city.
“I just think we should start to develop assets we can offer businesses,” said O’Donnell. “We should think about what our economy is going to look like five, 10, 15 years from now.”
About a dozen people followed O’Donnell to the Northampton Brewery for celebratory beverages, including Ward 4 Councilor Gina-Louise Sciarra.
“I’m very proud of him, and I’m very happy for him,” said Sciarra. “But most of all, I’m happy for Northampton.”
Reached by phone Thursday evening, Morin said she anticipated O’Donnell’s win.
“I’m not surprised,” Morin said of the results, adding that city councilors rallied around O’Donnell on Facebook and tipped the scales. “It wasn’t a level playing field.”
She vowed to remain politically active, calling attention to the city’s high water and sewer rates, which she said drove people to vote for her.
“I’ve met a whole lot of wonderful people,” she said. “It was worth it.”
Voters exiting the Senior Center polls earlier Thursday evening spoke highly of O’Donnell.
“He’s somebody who’s obviously accomplished already on the City Council,” said Seth Gregory, 34, of Northern Avenue. “Him being a renter — I think it’s important to have that experience, that perspective represented.”
A whole family exited the center saying they voted for O’Donnell. Sarah Etzel, 18, was freshly able to exercise her civic rights.
She said, “I just believe he’s the most qualified candidate for the job and he’s going to take the city in a direction I like.”
Amanda Drane can be contacted at adrane@gazettenet.com.