AMHERST — Among his constituents, sadness was the overwhelming reaction to the resignation of state Sen. Stanley Rosenberg, D-Amherst, which he announced Thursday.
“Kind of heartbroken,” said Joanie Daniels, of Northampton, when she learned of the news while volunteering at the Northampton Senior Center.
“I think it’s sad,” said W. Tim Nelson, Amherst’s fire chief.
“It really is a tragic story,” said Lee Edwards, of Amherst.
The resignation will be effective at 5 p.m. Friday and marks the end of a storied political career for Rosenberg, 68, who has served in the state Senate since 1991, becoming president in 2015. He stepped down from the presidency earlier this year in the wake of sexual assault and harassment allegations against his husband, Bryon Hefner, from whom he is now estranged.
Rosenberg’s resignation comes in the wake of the release of Wednesday’s report from the Senate Ethics Committee, which found that Rosenberg failed to protect the Senate from Hefner’s “disruptive, volatile and abusive” behavior.
Hefner has been criminally charged with felony sexual assault, among other charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Daniels said Rosenberg’s fate should have been left in the voters’ hands, and she said she would have voted for him again. Both sentiments were also expressed by her fellow volunteer, Andi O’Brien, also of Northampton.
“I think the voters should have a say,” O’Brien said.
Nelson said Rosenberg had “screwed up,” but that he is a good man who has done a lot of good and shouldn’t have resigned.
“He made a mistake,” Nelson said. “Damn it, we all do.”
Nelson also said he would have voted for Rosenberg again if given the chance, as did Edwards.
“My heart is broken,” said Edwards, outside Jones Library in Amherst.
Lawrence Siddall, of Amherst, also expressed sadness at Rosenberg’s resignation.
“It’s a personal and professional tragedy,” Siddall said. “I think he has a lot of sympathy and sympathetic supporters still.”
Robert Pam, chairman of the Amherst Democratic Town Committee, said Rosenberg’s resignation is a sad day for those who know him.
“Stan Rosenberg has been an outstanding senator for the Pioneer Valley, western Massachusetts and the whole commonwealth, and a fine human being,” Pam said. “As he rose in the leadership he exemplified what acting from values and conscience meant, government of, by and for the people, all of the people.”
Dorothy Fradera of Hadley wrote a brief note to Rosenberg after learning of his decision.
“I am very sorry, not only for you, but also for your constituents who know how hard you have worked for us. I wish you nothing but the best Stan.”
David Rutherford, of Amherst, who works as a drug and alcohol counselor, said he believed that Rosenberg had been pressured to leave.
“It’s a political move,” he said. “I’m very mad.”
Rutherford said he thinks Rosenberg should have stayed in, saying he had done good work for Amherst.
He also said he would have voted for Rosenberg again, and he was sure that everyone in Amherst would.
However, not everyone was supportive of the departing senator, including Jennifer Fronc, of Northampton.
“I think it’s good he resigned,” said Fronc, a professor of history at the University of Massachusetts.
Fronc said she had wanted Rosenberg to resign before the scandal.
“I think he’d been in office for too long,” Fronc said, expressing a desire for new blood in the seat.
Richard Bass, of Lawrence, the owner of Cardinal Shoe Corp., has been a supporter of and donor to Rosenberg. He said Rosenberg has been nothing but constructive and beneficial for the commonwealth and said he was sorry to see him resigning.
“It was very unfortunate to lose such a dedicated politician to the commonwealth, but unfortunately personal situations overcame him and it was probably best for him to step aside,” Bass said. “I think he will be sorely missed by the commonwealth for the work that he’s done.”
Todd Felton, of Amherst, said he has deep respect for Rosenberg and that his leaving office was a great loss to the state of Massachusetts. Nevertheless, he said he understood why Rosenberg had resigned.
“His role had been compromised,” said Felton, saying he didn’t see how Rosenberg could have stayed and been effective.
Still, he said he probably would have voted for him if he’d run again, although he could see why others would not.
Rep. Solomon Goldstein-Rose, I-Amherst, issued a statement about his fellow Amherst legislator.
“Stan has been amazing and while he made mistakes, I’m sorry for our community which is losing an effective and beloved servant.”
Gazette reporters Scott Merzbach and M.J. Tidwell contributed to this story.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.