North Adams mayor ousted after 26 years

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - One of the most shocking upsets locally this Election Day happened in Berkshire County where long time North Adams Mayor John Barrett was defeated.

With 13 terms in office, Barrett is the longest serving mayor in Massachusetts.

Voters decided it was time for a change.

Barrett says he's disappointed, but there is life after being mayor of the same city for 26 years.

"It's like anything else. Nothing lasts forever and I fully knew that," he said Wednesday.

Barrett says he debated whether or not to run for a 14th term, but decided to go for it.

He says this time he saw a very different voter going to the polls.

"I've often said, people we brought to this city because of the changes we made will be the ones that probably drive me out and I think that was what happened yesterday," Barrett said.

Barrett brought the arts to North Adams, including Mass MoCAm a contemporary art museum.

Three years ago North Adams was ranked one of the top 50 cities to live in the country.

But by a margin of 880 voters, residents decided it's someone else's turn to run this city. That person is Dick Alcombright.

"Euphoric is the word I'm using," Alcombright said Wednesday.

A city councilor for the past eight years and a banker for 36 years, Alcombright says he brought a new message to voters.

"The message was clear I think. They saw somebody who continued to manage the city effectively the way the mayor has for the past 26 years along with somebody who could bring a different type of leadership, a different type of thought process," the mayor-elect said.

The husband and father of four says his first order of business will be to take a look at the city's tough budget. That's something Barrett says is going to be extremely challenging for the new mayor.

"They don't think anything is wrong, but underneath it all there's going to be a very difficult period of time over the next two years," Barrett predicted.

Barrett says he's humbled by the amount of calls he received Wednesday from supporters across the state, including Gov. Deval Patrick.

Meanwhile on top of celebrating his victory, Alcombright is also celebrating his 20th wedding anniversary.