Easthampton's new mayor is the same person who has been in the position for the last few months. Interim mayor Salem Derby emerged victorious from a ranked choice ballot which included mayoral executive assistant Lindsi Sekula and city councilor Jason 'JT' Tirrell.
Derby has been serving as the interim since the resignation of former Mayor Nicole LaChapelle earlier this year.
Easthampton uses ranked choice voting, which added some extra drama on Tuesday night.
Derby won in the second count of votes, after Tirrell was eliminated during the first round. Between Derby and Sekula, Derby managed to garner 56% of votes.
At his campaign party Tuesday night, Derby said he's excited to put his nose to the grindstone and work for the people of Easthampton.
"I'm ready to bring us into the future of Easthampton," Derby said. "Which I think is going to be hopefully more affordable, which is going to be more vibrant, which is going to be a place where arts, music and culture can thrive, and where people feel heard and part of the community."
Despite entering the race the late after saying he wasn't going to run at first, Derby quickly gained support from residents who recognized him from his 22 year tenure on the city council. Resident Abe Rivera said he's seen Derby serve the local community for years, so it was an easy choice to rank him first for the mayor's office.
"He has shown leadership throughout a long period of time," Rivera said. "He's doing really really well, I think he's a trustworthy person, kind, and cares about the people."
Derby said having experience both as a city councilor and as interim mayor gives him a unique insight into the city's government processes, as well as the potential for change and improvement.
"Being able to be connected with all of the nuts and bolts of the inner operations of the city has really opened my eyes to how much we can accomplish," Derby explained. "How many challenges we have and how much work needs to be done."
He said he thinks his campaign was able to generate momentum so quickly because of its grassroots nature — he cited his neighbors as an inspiration to officially enter the mayoral race.
"I think people can recognize when someone is being real, when someone is being authentic," Derby said. "One of my skills is being resourceful. Just looking at how much the [other] candidates have spent compared to what we have done, I think that is a measure of our ability to be resourceful and our ability to make things happen with the fewest number of resources."
Because Derby was serving as interim mayor, he'll be sworn in at the earliest opportunity, instead of waiting until January, per the Easthampton city charter.
