Supporters for both top vote-getters were out with signs throughout the city and the day. Unfortunately, they weren't waving to a lot of people because only 18 percent of registered voters made it to the polls.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Linda Tyer reeled in almost 55 percent of the preliminary vote Tuesday with incumbent Daniel Bianchi finishing 830 votes behind her.
Tyer took 13 of the city's 14 precincts.
"I am honored. I have a great team around me and the voters have realized that we have the right vision for our city," the city clerk said.
Bianchi said he wasn't surprised at the outcome, noting that he hasn't ramped up his campaigning yet. He joined the race later in the year, and has done less campaigning,and less campaign spending.
But he feels he is positioned well to close the some 800-vote gap between him and his challenger.
"When you are a mayor, you have a job to do. If you are doing it right it is seven days a week. So you don't get to the do the campaigning a challenger will do," Bianchi said at his Elm Street campaign office, where he was holding a celebration with supporters and listening to the results come in.
"You have a challenger that has been out there for months and really hitting the streets. Now it is our turn to do the same thing."
Tyer reeled in 2,790 votes, equating for 54.96 percent of the vote. Bianchi finished with 1,960 votes to take the other ballot spot on November's general election. Donna Walto and Craig Gaetani trailed far behind and are knocked off the ballot, earning 133 votes and 176 votes, respectively.
For Tyer, the results show that the city is in "desperate need of a change" and she promised to grow the momentum that led to such a strong victory Tuesday into the general election.
"We have another 41 days to continue the momentum and to share plans on how together we can improve our city. I look forward to more opportunities to have productive and candid discussions about the direction of Pittsfield. I believe that our city deserves better and, based on tonight's results, it is clear that voters agree. I promise our city residents that I will restore their faith in municipal government," she said.
Turnout was extraordinarily light on Tuesday, at only 18.7 percent or 5,076 voters. It was a far cry from the heavily contested 2009 preliminary that saw Bianchi poll 3,540 votes to former Mayor James Ruberto's 2,998 in a crowded field of 10. Ruberto would go on to win re-election by some 200 votes.
In 2011, a smaller field of five still drew a sizable number of voters, with Bianchi taking first with 3,430 to former City Councilor Peter Marchetti's 2,759. Bianchi would to on to win that election and was unopposed in 2013.
"There are a lot people who didn't come to the playoff game and are waiting to come to the championship game," Bianchi said. "That's going to be a great day."
Bianchi lost the 2009 election despite a lead in the preliminary and a 700-vote gap was nearly closed by Marchetti in 2011, when Bianchi won by about 100 votes. He said he's been on both sides of preliminaries so the results don't show much.
Tyer's campaign, too, understands that the race will just heat up. After celebrating the victory at Zucchini's with supporters, she said, it'll be right back to work.
"We're going to work harder. We're going to be more strategic. And we are going to finish the job," Tyer said.
Bianchi says over the next month or so the two contrasting styles of government will show through and the citizens will be able to make dig into issues and make a wise choice.
"We have minor distractions with the field that we had out there. But now we have two candidates with a very, very different approach. A very different view of the city of Pittsfield. For the next five weeks we are going to be talking about all of the things that we've been doing," Bianchi said.
He added, "we know it is an entirely different thing going into a final election."
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