Letter: Political Bias

To the Editor:

Do you only report about Democrat candidates or am I missing your reporting on Republican candidates some how? The Berkshire Eagle is a left-favoring periodical that I've learned to simply ignore because of their bias. Please clarify my dilemma sooner than later.

I appreciate your efforts & overall coverage but it appears a political bias is showing itself.

Chuck D. Wright
North Adams, Mass. 

Editor's note: iBerkshires covers all local candidates and state candidates who visit Berkshire County (and let us know they're coming!) We have been focusing on the upcoming primary, which has no local Republican races. We wrote about gubernatorial candidate Geoffry Diehl and two candidates who recently came to Pittsfield. 

North Adams Council Seats New Councilor Riehl

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
08:46PM / Tuesday, November 10, 2026

New Councilor Virginia Riehl was accompanied by her daughter. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council voted in a new council member to replace the departed Alexa Macdonald. 

 

Virginia Riehl, 10th candidate in last year's election by 41 votes, was elected 5-3 to fill the vacant seat until next election. 

 

She will sit on Community Development and Public Services committees. 

 

"I feel called to serve North Adams, and North Adams has made me a better person," she said after being sworn in. "And then I have one announcement, which is that any compensation I receive in this position, will be donated to the Affordable Housing Trust."

 

Riehl had had the most public support for filling the seat, including a petition with hundreds of names and letters to the editor encouraging the council to vote her in. She thanked her supporters who were in the audience and at home. 

 

She was sworn by City Clerk Tina Leonesio with her daughter at her side. 

 

The other candidates were Peter Oleskiewicz, a past councilor and current member of the Planning Board and Hoosac Water Quality District; Jesus Leyva, a community activist in his previous hometowns of  Greenfield and Northampton; Joseph Ousterhoudt, a hardware store manager; and member of the Democratic City Committee; and Ronald Sheldon, a past candidate for City Council.