Davis declares victory in 3rd Berkshire District House of Representatives race, Congressman Neal defeats Milleron

EDITOR’S NOTE: Leslee Bassman has co-written this article.

Berkshire County — Democratic candidate Leigh Davis has won in the race for the 3rd Berkshire District seat in the State House of Representatives.

As of press time on Wednesday, November 6, the results of the elections for three towns—Monterey, Sandisfield, and Tyringham—have not been submitted.

However, at 2:59 a.m. on November 6, the Associated Press called the race for Davis, who defeated independent candidate Marybeth Mitts by 11,492 to 8,007 votes. Davis, who is a native of Washington, D.C., announced her candidacy in February.

Davis earned her Bachelor of Science in cinematography and film/video production from Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y., and subsequently earned her Master of Arts in screenwriting from the University of Galway in Galway, Ireland. According to her LinkedIn profile, Davis worked as a television and film editor for several studios, including Universal Studios Hollywood, Amblin Entertainment, Columbia Tri Star, and Warner Bros. Studios.

Since moving to the Berkshire County area in 2009, Davis has worked as a marketing manager for the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, a marketing director for New England Newspapers Inc., and a director of development for the Eagle Mill Redevelopment company. She currently works as the communications and community engagement director for Construct Inc., having previously worked as its development director starting in 2020. The organization provides supportive services to residents in southern Berkshire County.

Davis started her career as a town official in May 2013 when she was elected to the Great Barrington Finance Committee, where she served until May 2016. She was elected to the town’s Selectboard in May 2019 and started serving as its vice chair in May 2021. Davis is also the chair of the Selectboard and Planning Board Housing Subcommittee.

Davis will be taking over for William “Smitty” Pignatelli, who announced in February that, after 22 years in office, he would not be running again.

Davis’ campaign held an election watch party at Barrington Brewery on the night of November 5 at Barrington Brewery.

By around 10 p.m., a majority of the voting results from each of the towns in 3rd Berkshire District pointed to a Davis victory. While not directly declaring victory, Davis gave a speech thanking her supporters. “This is such a special, historic moment nationally and obviously locally,” Davis said. “I want to thank you for being here and witnessing this moment with this wonderful group of people. This is a momentous occasion, and coming in as the hopeful state representative for the 3rd Berkshire District is such an honor. I am going to hit the ground running to work on affordable housing. I’m going to be here for you working on economic development to get our schools bright and healthy. We’re going to look after our seniors, our veterans, and we’re going to make sure that this environment is protected and it’s something that is sustainable.”

Davis thanked her supporters for working together to get her elected. “You all really pulled together,” Davis said. “This is a unified district, and I’m going to be working hard for you. Yes, we have so much to be thankful for, and I’m going to be your voice, and I’m going to be here to serve you, and I’m going to be here to represent you.”

Selectboard Chair Steve Bannon said that he is happy for Davis’ election to the state’s House of Representatives. “She will be a terrific state representative,” Bannon said. “I look forward to working with her when she serves.”

Mitts conceded to Davis in a midnight phone call. ”I think I ran a very competitive race,” Mitts said in a phone interview with The Berkshire Edge on the morning of November 6. “I was really happy to engage with so many varied and concerned Berkshire citizens. Over the last eight months, I learned a lot about the concerns of the voters. I learned a lot about myself. I’m really happy that I can continue to serve the Berkshires in my capacity here in the town of Lenox, and I will certainly continue to fight for affordable housing and all the things that I care about here in the Berkshires.”

At around 11 p.m., the Lenox Select Board member presented the crowd of well-wishers gathered at The Olde Heritage Tavern for Mitts’ election watch party with “part one” of a two-part speech, thanking supporters for their vigilance and efforts on her behalf.

Mitts began the dialogue with appreciation for the “unwavering support” of her husband, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kevin G. Mitts, and thanked her children and other family members. “I also want to extend a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to my wonderful friends,” Mitts said, naming those close to her. “You have helped me in every endeavor—door knocking, thank-you-note writing, campaign organizing, letters of endorsement and getting out the vote. You have all been an incredible support system, giving your time, energy, and wisdom. This victory is yours as much as mine.”

She also offered special words of thanks to former Democrat candidates for the office, Stockbridge Select Board members Patrick White and Jamie Minacci. “I have a lot of respect for the campaigns that you each ran and thank you for your good humor through the eight-month journey we just took together,” Mitts said.

Lenox resident Tabitha Pickett-Vahle began the long evening with Mitts. She said their friendship stems from their children who attended school and prom together. “Of course, when she decided to make this run, I supported her wholeheartedly,” Pickett-Vahle said of Mitts, adding that she held up campaign signs on election day in Lenox and Stockbridge.

Lenox native Rebecca O’Brien raised a glass to Mitts at the watch party. “I’m out here supporting her because I like what she says, I like what she stands for,” she said. “It’s an important election and big shoes to fill.”

Although Lenox Select Board member and Mitts supporter Ed Lane started the evening “hopeful” of his colleague’s win, he said his biggest fear was for “the country in the next weeks and months.” “I hope it sorts itself out in a good way,” Lane said of “violence and hatred” that may ensue after the national election results. “Lenox is in a bubble; I’m not worried about Lenox or Berkshire County. I’m worried about the country.”

Mitts said she spent the day canvassing, beginning with Egremont at 7 a.m., then Sheffield an hour later, followed by stops in Great Barrington, Lenox, and Dalton. Although she said she was “pretty confident” prior to the vote count postings, Mitts recognized the evening was “out of [her] hands.” “I am a person who does not get really agitated one way or another,” she said. “I just know that I’ve run the best race that I could run. I gave the voters as much information about my record as I could.”

Throughout the night, the race between Davis and Mitts continued at vote split of 60 percent for Davis and 40 percent for Mitts posted by those municipalities that had concluded their election process.

One of two challengers to succeed Pignatelli who served the district for 22 years, Mitts campaigned on a platform evidencing her dedication to advancing the region “through community development, accessible housing, and improved public services.”

Mitts grew up in West Hartford, Conn., and has three daughters. She attended Mount Holyoke College and earned a Master’s Degree in public policy at the University of Maryland, College Park.

In an April 3 Letter to the Editor, Mitts listed her past 21 years of volunteerism, including her service on the Lenox School Committee, Lenox Cultural District’s steering committee, Lenox Select Board, and The Brien Center Board of Trustees, among other boards and commissions. Citing her position as chair of the town’s Affordable Housing Trust for eight years, Mitts said her record includes supporting two mixed-income rental housing developments, adding 133 new housing units to Lenox. The 65-unit Brushwood Farms development is set for a spring groundbreaking. For Mitts, “housing is foundational to one’s security, health, and employability,” she stated in the letter.

Mitts’ work history includes serving as a presidential management intern involved in community planning and development policy at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C.

Mitts’s candidacy also focused on local economic development to help municipal businesses and cultural organizations thrive; prioritizing engineering and designs to aid the area’s degrading culverts, bridges, and roads; promoting manufacturing, construction, and trade careers; education; advancing healthcare resources and hospitals, especially to those in need as well as the mental health community; and ensuring emergency medical services “are fully funded.”

Results as of 12 p.m. on Wednesday, November 8:

 NOTE: All results are unofficial until certified by the secretary of state.

Meanwhile, incumbent Congressman Richard Neal (D) won his race against independent candidate and Sheffield resident Nadia Milleron. Neal was previously the mayor of Springfield from 1984 to 1988. He was elected to the House of Representatives for Massachusetts’ 2nd Congressional District back in 1988. He was reelected to the 2nd Congressional District 11 times before changing districts and then being elected to the House of Representatives for the state’s 1st Congressional District in 2012.

According to the Associated Press, Neal won with 215,775 votes, while Milleron received 128,516 votes. “It is the honor of a lifetime to represent western and central Massachusetts in Congress, and I’m grateful to the people of the First Congressional District for such an overwhelming margin in my reelection,” Neal wrote in an email sent to media outlets. “This is my 25th election, and I could not be prouder of our record of delivering for the people of western and central Massachusetts — and all Americans. For the next two years I will keep fighting to lower costs, protect Social Security and deliver resources to our communities.”

On her campaign’s Facebook page, Milleron wrote, “From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Western Mass.”

There were also five ballot questions this year. According to the Associated Press, Ballot Question 1, which would give the State Auditor power to audit the state Senate and House of Representatives, passed by a vote of 2,217,602 votes to 883,685 votes. Ballot Question 2 asked voters if they would support eliminating the mandate of passing the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assesment System exam as a high school graduation requirement. According to the Associated Press, the question passed by a vote of 1,908,854 to 1,327,519. Ballot Question 3 asked voters to allow for rideshare drivers, including Uber and Lyft drivers, to form unions. The Associate Press projects that the question passed by a vote of 1,683,245 to 1,441,782. Ballot Question 4 asked voters to approve the legalization of the use of psychedelic drugs. The Associated Press projects that the measure did not pass with a vote of 1,819,338 against and 1,373,865 in favor. Finally, Ballot Question 5 asked voters to approve a change in a law that would have increased the minimum hourly wage an employer needs to pay a tipped worker. The Associated Press projects that the measure did not pass with a vote of 2,050,084 to 1,146,784.

All Associated Press results were published on November 6 at 12:30 p.m.