Both mayor and councilor-at-large to spend time knocking on doors
By Elaine Allegrini
ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
Posted Oct 29, 2009 @ 09:54 AM
BROCKTON —
After three formal debates and several
informal candidate forums, the 2009 mayoral
campaign is heading into its final days.
But, incumbent Mayor James E. Harrington and
challenger Councilor-at-large Linda Balzotti
are not resting until the final vote is
counted on Tuesday.
Balzotti plans to continue knocking on
doors, meeting people and getting her
message out. Harrington, too, said he will
knock on doors, mail information to voters
and make phone calls in his bid to overcome
the 1,300-vote deficit he suffered in the
preliminary election.
When the two squared off Wednesday night in
a debate sponsored by The Enterprise,
Massasoit Community College and WXBR radio,
there were few surprises — most of the
issues had been debated before.
“It was a fair exchange,” said Harrington.
But, he said the debate was without
substance. And, none of the questions
surprised him.
Elected twice before, Harrington said this
campaign has a different tone because
Balzotti has experience in city government
and was a colleague on the City Council,
unlike his opponent in the last two races,
Jass Stewart, who had not been in
government.
Still, said Harrington, “It’s extremely
difficult to get up there and expose
yourself.”
But, in the end, he said, “the city
benefits.”
Harrington served on the City Council for 16
years before running for mayor. Balzotti has
held a council seat for 12 years. This is
her first run for mayor.
She deemed Wednesday’s exchange as “very
civil.” It was an opportunity, she said, for
both candidates to get their ideas out.
She kept after Harrington on the issue of
Building a Better Brockton Inc. and the
federal audit that led to the resignation of
its CEO earlier this month, putting that up
as one of Harrington’s biggest mistakes.
“It shows that sometimes the best laid plan
goes wrong,” she said.
In the final days of the campaign, she noted
the debate will be broadcast on radio and
local cable television, bringing her message
to a very wide audience.