NORTHAMPTON — Interim City Clerk Pamela Powers held off a challenge from Robert Driscoll to win her first election to the city clerk’s office Tuesday.
Powers, who oversaw the election process Tuesday as part of her job duties, won all of the city’s wards and precincts, winning 4,635 votes to Driscoll’s 1,774. Driscoll had his strongest showing in Ward 6, Precinct A, gaining 228 votes to Powers’ 348 votes. She garnered 72.3 percent of the vote.
“It feels great,” she said. “I have … worked very hard. My committee has worked very hard.”
Powers made her case based on her experience working in the office. As interim city clerk since July, Powers noted the time-saving reforms she has put in place and her plans to further streamline the systems within the office.
Following her win, she noted another innovation she’d put into place: reporting the election results to the public via a Google Doc.
“I think in the end the voters made …. the choice that said experience matters,” she said from City Hall.
Driscoll campaigned on his experience as an election worker in Ward 2, Precinct A, familiarity with the historical documents the clerk is responsible for, and enthusiasm for the job. He also noted his lifetime residency in Northampton, and that both his parents had worked for the city.
“It was a good race,” Driscoll said.
Powers worked for a time as assistant city clerk, but that earned her no favor with her old boss, Wendy Mazza, who endorsed Driscoll in the race. Mazza criticized Powers for leaving the clerk’s office in 2014 to take the job of clerk of the City Council. Driscoll was also endorsed by former city clerks Christine Skorupski and Adeline Murray.
Driscoll said he was happy with the effort that was put into his campaign and praised his team.
“Unfortunately, the votes weren’t there,” he said.
For her part, Powers drew the support of a number of members of the City Council, including the council’s president, William H. Dwight, who praised Powers’ skill and professionalism.
Several voters interviewed by the Gazette at the polls were vocal in their support of Powers.
“I like her experience and knowledge of the job,” Gordon Coates said.
Voting in their first Northampton election, husband and wife Doug Beattie and Linda Eiehengreen chose Powers.
“I went in there (the city clerk’s office) the other day and she was very helpful,” Eiehengreen said.
Ann Parker and Sally Conway both said that they chose to vote for Powers because she was a woman.
“We need more women everywhere,” Parker said.
“I always vote for the woman,” said Sally Conway, who clarified that she uses this standard if she isn’t sure about candidates in a race.
Ruth Howe said she was backing Driscoll, partly because three previous city clerks had endorsed him. The endorsement of the previous clerks was also the reason why Allyson Bunch voted for Driscoll.
Driscoll’s campaigning seems to have played a distinct role in getting him the vote of Stephen Quigley.
“He was the first one to drop literature at our house,” Quigley said.
Contact Bera Dunau at bdunau@gazettenet.com.