For a few days after the Sept. 20 preliminary election, it made sense to me that Jose Tosado would lie low.
After all, Tosado’s bid to become Springfield’s mayor took a serious hit that day, and even the most cocksure of candidates—which Tosado, decidedly, is not—would need to a little time for wound-licking and regrouping. The City Council president won just 23 percent of the vote, compared to incumbent Domenic Sarno’s 60 percent. (The third candidate, Antonette Pepe, won 16.5 percent and was eliminated from the race.)
By finishing in second place—no matter how distant—Tosado advances to the Nov. 8 general election. Still, for a challenger looking to unseat an incumbent, Tosado’s figures were far from promising, suggesting it was time for a major campaign shift, a more forceful effort to get his message out to voters.
But more than a month later, I’m still not seeing that new burst of energy. And with about two weeks to go, time is fast running out.
As I write this, it’s been 31 days since the preliminary. In that time, I’ve received five press releases from the Tosado campaign. Curiously, there was no release about Pepe’s preliminary-night endorsement of Tosado, nor about Tosado’s endorsement by state rep Ben Swan, although there is video of the latter on Tosado’s website.
Among the subjects of the releases I did get: a report on Springfield schools that Tosado says shows the system is poorly managed; the biomass plant proposed for East Springfield, which is being pushed ahead despite opposition from the City Council; Sarno’s failure to replace the city’s economic development officer, who left in May.
The releases are similar to those that came before the preliminary: they include harsh words for Sarno (“Our children deserve the best. But since Sarno took office, graduation rates, dropout rates, and MCAS reading and math scores have all gotten worse.” “I question the mayor’s ability as a manager when he does not have a single person in charge of his number one priority [economic development].”) and vows that things would be different under Tosado. They end with a directive to check out Tosado’s website for his “bold and concrete economic and community development strategy” and his “vision and some ideas for turning our schools around.”
Worthy campaign topics all. And, indeed, Tosado’s website includes detailed information on his plans for economic development, public safety and other crucial issues. The question is, are voters listening?
Since the preliminary, Tosado has gotten decent, but not great, coverage in the Springfield Republican, much of it in the form of campaign press releases, which the paper, as a rule, publishes for all candidates. When I searched the websites of the three local TV stations, I found coverage was even sparser and, with the exception of Channel 22, mostly limited to pre-preliminary reporting.
Is it Tosado’s fault if local media aren’t paying super-close attention to his campaign? Maybe not. But certainly, the burden’s on him to make it hard for the media—and voters—to ignore his campaign. Before the preliminary, Tosado benefited from Pepe’s unyielding attacks on the Sarno administration; with her out of the race, that job falls solely to Tosado, who lacks Pepe’s fire.
What perhaps should be more worrisome to Tosado backers is their candidate’s continued personal shyness. One example: a politically savvy source told me about at a recent Cathedral High fundraiser—a Ward 7-heavy political goldmine of an event—where Tosado stood off to the side with his family while Sarno (like Tosado, a Cathedral parent) expertly worked the room.
Unlike Tosado, the gregarious Sarno has always enjoyed that sort of politicking; as mayor, he also enjoys daily media attention. In recent days, he was in the news calling for the shutdown of a bar after a man was murdered there, and appearing, with U.S. Rep. Richie Neal, at a photo op where victims of the June 1 tornado received free building materials.
More significant, Sarno’s decisive preliminary win will solidify his support among those voters (and campaign donors) who might not want to risk alienating the incumbent administration by backing a challenger who posted such low numbers.
Sarno is in a position to coast to victory next month. Does Tosado have the ability—or the proverbial fire in the belly—to stop him?
