NORTHAMPTON — At-Large City Councilor William Dwight will be seeking his fifth consecutive two-year term on the council, despite once again contemplating standing aside.
“I was seriously considering not running,” Dwight said.
And while a number of reasons contributed to Dwight’s decision, one factor was the urging of his wife, Lida Lewis, which he described as “very key.”
“You’d be boring and depressed if you didn’t run for re-election,” Dwight said, paraphrasing her words.
Her enthusiasm for his political career wasn’t always there. Prior to his current tenure on the council, Dwight served eight years, from 1996 to 2004, as the Ward 1 city councilor, and Lewis threatened to register as a Republican if he ran for a second term, a threat she told him she followed through on. He says she has since recovered.
As to what changed her view of his political career, Dwight credited it to her finding him “sulky” when he wasn’t on the council.
“She’s earned that assessment every little bit,” Dwight said.
Dwight, 63, works behind the counter at the Florence Pie Bar and was a longtime clerk at the now-defunct Pleasant Street Video. In addition to serving on the council, he’s also the council’s representative on the city’s Charter Review Committee.
Among his key issues, Dwight named continuing to work make Northampton a more green community. He also emphasized the importance of expanding and recovering affordable places to live in the city, which “informs literally every other issue,” and expressed a desire for Northampton to avoid making rules for the sake of rules.
“I want to resist becoming fussy town,” he said.
Additionally, Dwight gave his strong support for letting 16-year-olds vote in municipal elections, something he noted originated with the city’s Youth Commission.
“I’m all in,” he said.
Dwight is one of the legislators responsible for prominently promoting progressive legislation on the council. Two of the council’s other major progressive voices, Ward 7 City Councilor Alisa Klein and At-Large City Councilor Ryan O’Donnell, are not seeking re-election this year. When asked if that was a factor in him choosing to run, Dwight said the two were among the voices that had urged him to seek another term.
However, Dwight claimed that he’s not a progressive lion of the caliber of O’Donnell and Klein, saying that they’ve been key in crafting legislation that he’s signed onto.
“They’re going to be missed,” he said.
In other changes on the council, Ward 2 City Councilor Dennis Bidwell is also not running for re-election, and Ward 4 City Councilor Gina-Louise Sciarra is running for city councilor at-large.
On the potential for him to serve next year on a council with at least three new faces, Dwight said, “It’s always really exciting when new people come on.”
He also said the addition of new people alters the dynamics of the council.
“Perspectives change,” said Dwight. “Debates change.”
The election is Nov. 5.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.