Mass. Mayoral Winners: Mitchell In New Bedford; Wong In Fitchburg; Sarno In Springfield; Morse, 22, In Holyoke

Ex-Federal Prosecutor Elected New Bedford's Mayor

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Former federal prosecutor Jon Mitchell has been elected New Bedford's next mayor, defeating longtime state Rep. Antonio Cabral in a bid to lead the south coast community.

The Standard-Times reports that Mitchell won just under 52 percent of the vote Tuesday in a bid to succeed Mayor Scott Lang, who is leaving office after three terms.

Both Cabral and Mitchell stressed job creation in a city that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says had a 10.3 percent unemployment rate in September.

Mitchell's campaign also stressed his public safety credentials, including the fact that he served on a task force to catch former Boston mobster James "Whitey" Bulger and his prosecution of those responsible for the April 2003 Buzzards Bay oil spill.

Wong Wins Third Term As Fitchburg's Mayor

FITCHBURG, Mass. — Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong, the state's first female Asian-American mayor, has won another term in office after beating back a challenge from a city councilor who pledged to undo many of the painful austerity measures she had enacted.

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports that 60-year-old lawyer Joseph Solomito conceded the election shortly after polls closed Tuesday night.

Wong says she's looking forward to continuing to be the protector of taxpayer dollars and to continue with efforts to revitalize the economy of the central Massachusetts city troubled by high rates of unemployment.

Solomito, a city councilor and former police officer and prosecutor, beat Wong in September's preliminary election after pledging to reverse some of Wong's cost-cutting measures that helped pull the city from brink of bankruptcy.

Springfield Mayor Sarno Cruises To Re-Election

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno has been re-elected the chief executive officer of Massachusetts's third-largest city whose term is expanding from two years to four years.

Sarno secured more than 70 percent of the vote to defeat City Council President Jose Tosado, who mounted a spirited campaign and won the endorsement of some key labor unions.

Sarno's campaign highlighted the city's improved financial standing and to his leadership after a devastating tornado in June.

Tosado sought to become the city's first Latino mayor. He criticized Sarno for not doing enough to stem violent crime or control mismanagement in the city's school department.

The Springfield election was monitored by the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department as a result of a prior lawsuit alleging that the rights of minority voters were violated.

22-Year-Old Defeats Incumbent To Be Holyoke Mayor

HOLYOKE, Mass. — Twenty-two-year-old Alex Morse has been elected Holyoke's next mayor, becoming the youngest chief executive officer in the history of the western Massachusetts city.

Morse claimed the mayoral office when Mayor Elaine Pluta conceded defeat shortly after polls closed Tuesday night. Pluta was seeking a second term in office after serving in the city council for 14 years.

"This is an incredible moment, not just for this campaign, but for the city of Holyoke," Morse said, according to The Republican of Springfield. "This has never been about me. This has never been about Alex Morse. This has been about the future of Holyoke."

Morse is a recent Brown University graduate who is opposed to plans to open a casino in Holyoke.

Petty Wins Worcester 4-Way Mayoral Race

WORCESTER, Mass. — Worcester's longtime city councilor Joseph Petty has declared victory in a four-way race to become the next mayor for Massachusetts' second-largest city.

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette cited incomplete results when reporting that Petty won about 45 percent of the vote Tuesday night to win the race.

Former Mayor Konstantina Lukes got 36 percent of the vote, Carmen Carmona secured 11 percent and William Coleman bagged eight percent in a bid to succeed outgoing Mayor Joseph O'Brien.

O'Brien did not seek re-election, citing family reasons.

Under Worcester's city manager form of government, the mayor chairs the city council and school committee while the city manager serves as the city's chief executive.

In Metheun, The Race Isn't Over

Metheun City Councilor Stephen Zanni has a 28-vote lead over Al DiNuccio, who is planning to seek a recount.