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. 

Barrett Holds off Fitch in State House Race

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
11:20PM / Tuesday, September 01, 2026

Candidate Andrew Fitch thanks his supporters for their work on the campaign and promised 'we're going to get him next time.'

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — State Rep. John Barrett III showed Tuesday that it is still his time to serve.

 

In an election night cliffhanger that had supporters of each candidate anxiously checking their cell phone screens two hours after the polls closed, Barrett defeated challenger Andrew Fitch in the First Berkshire Democratic primary for the State House of Representatives.

 

With one town, Peru, missing from the vote total, Fitch called Barrett to concede the race at about 10 p.m. with Barrett holding a 3,597-3,476 lead, a margin of 121 votes.

 

With no Republican on the ballot, Tuesday's winner will be unopposed in the November general election.

 

After receiving well wishes from his supporters at the GOAT Sports Bar and Grill, Barrett talked about his win and shared part of his motivation for seeking another two years in the post he has held since 2017.

 

"When [Fitch] called me up and said that he was going to be running against me and said, 'I want to announce I'm going to run in two weeks,' and then he says, 'This is my time and your time to retire,'" Barrett said. "Well, that's when I decided I was going to run."

 

On Tuesday, Barrett congratulated Fitch, a North Adams city councilor, on a well-run campaign after accepting his concession.