Mark Mastroianni was elected the next Hampden district attorney Tuesday night less than an hour after polls closed.
State Sen. Stephen Buoniconti, D-West Springfield, conceded the contest in a call to Mastroianni, an independent.
“I’m so grateful to all the people who supported me. I’m so grateful to all the people who worked on my campaign and committed themselves. It’s so unbelievable to see this effort,” Mastroianni said at his victory celebration at Onyx Restaurant in Springfield.
“I do certainly see myself handling murder cases personally. How many a year? I don’t know. Maybe it’s going to be a cross between what Matty Ryan did and Bill Bennett did.”
Supporters and family of Buoniconti assembled at the John Boyle O’Reilly Club in Springfield to celebrate, but once the results began trickling in, the mood began to sour quickly.
Buffy Spencer, The Republican
Some 40 to 50 people were there just before 9 p.m. awaiting for the candidate to arrive. Buoniconti had planned not to arrive until after a winner had been declared.
Members of his family expressed anger over the way Buoniconti had been depicted in The Republican’s coverageleading up to election day.
Shortly after it was reported Buoniconti conceded to Mastrionani, Donna Buoniconti and Robert Buoniconti, the candidate’s mother and brother, told two Republican reporters they had to leave the banquet room. Other members of the media were allowed to remain.