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Voters: Primary Election is on Sept. 1

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Voters will determine some winners ahead of the general election and select the Republican nominee for governor during the state primary election on Tuesday, Sept. 1. 

Polling stations in Berkshire County can be found here. 

In Berkshire County, most incumbent Democrats are unopposed, but there are races for the state representative of the First Berkshire District and the District 8 seat on Governor's Council. The nominees of these two races are effectively the winners as there are no other candidates on the general election ballot. 

The state primary election also will include Democratic nomination races for U.S. senator and U.S. representative. In these races, the nominees will face off with a Republican candidate and an independent, respectively, in the general election. 

Incumbent John Barrett III and Andrew Fitch, a North Adams city councilor, are running for the Democratic nomination to represent the First Berkshire District. There are no candidates in the Republican Party. 

Barrett and Fitch met at Williams College for a forum sponsored by the town's chapter of the League of Women Voters and answered questions from iBerkshires.  


Several incumbent Berkshire County Democrats are unopposed for re-election: Paul Mark for state senator, Tricia Farley-Bouvier for state representative of the Second Berkshire District, and Leigh Davis for state representative of the Third Berkshire District. 

In the Democratic race for the District 8 seat on Massachusetts Governor's Council, Michael Fenton of Springfield is challenging North Adams incumbent Tara Jacobs. There are no Republican candidates for this race.

Incumbent Edward Markey and Seth Moulton will face off in the Democratic primary election for the U.S. Senate seat, and John Deaton is running unopposed in the Republican Party primary. Incumbent Richard Neal and Democrat Jeromie Whalen are running to represent the U.S. House Massachusetts District; there are no Republican candidates. 

There are no Democratic challengers on the primary ballot for the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, and auditor. Incumbents Maura Healey, Kim Driscoll, Andrea Campbell, William Galvin, Deb Goldberg, and Diana DiZoglio are running for re-election. 

Michael Minogue and Brian Shortsleeve are running for gubernatorial nomination in the Republican Party, and running unopposed in the Republican primary is Shawn Oliver for lieutenant governor, Michael Walsh for attorney general, and Elizabeth Dionne for treasurer. 

More information about local, statewide, and national races is available on iBerkshires' Election News Page. 


Tags: election 2026,   primary,   


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North Adams Man Found Guilty of Rape, Sentenced to State Prison

Staff Reports

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — On Monday, Nov. 9, Joseph Pini, 49 years old, formerly of North Adams, was sentenced to 9 to 12 years in State Prison after being found guilty of 2 counts of Rape and one count of Furnishing Alcohol to a Minor. 

On Friday, Nov. 6, a jury found Pini guilty of all three charges after deliberating for four hours. 

Honorable Judge Callan sentenced Pini to 9 to 12 years in State Prison for the two counts of Rape and 6 months in the House of Corrections for Furnishing Alcohol to a Minor, to be served concurrently. The Commonwealth requested a sentence of 12 to 15 years in prison for the combined rape charges with 1 year in the House of Corrections, a maximum sentence, for furnishing alcohol to a minor to be served concurrently. Defense requested a 'very lengthy' probationary period.  

According to a report, in November 2022, Joseph Pini brought a then-16-year-old to his home on Fairgrounds Avenue, North Adams. He proceeded to provide the teen with alcohol and then raped her twice. 

District Attorney Shugrue thanked the jury for their services.

"I commend the North Adams Police Department and the Child Abuse Unit in my office for their thorough and dedicated work in bringing this case to a successful conclusion," he said. "My thoughts remain with the survivor, whose life has been forever impacted by this horrific assault. While no verdict can undo the harm she endured, I hope that the guilty verdict and sentencing bring a measure of closure and allow her the opportunity to move forward.”

Chief of the Child Abuse Unit Andrew Giorilo represented the Commonwealth. Ian Benoit and Shairai Richards served as victim witness advocates on behalf of the Berkshire District Attorney's Office. The North Adams Police Department served as the lead law enforcement agency on the case. 

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