WESTFIELD – For the briefest of moments, Mike Roeder raised his hands in victory as the results scrolling on the bottom of Channel 22 news declared him the winner of the mayoral race in Westfield. Moments before, Dave Flaherty had come from City Hall to the Tekoa Country Club where Roeder, his family and supporters had gathered to await the results. The numbers were looking good, when Flaherty told him he hadn’t made it. It turned out that the station had flipped the numbers, and Brian Sullivan had won the race 4,421 votes to 3,420.
“I never thought it would end like this, with a clerical error,” Roeder said, acknowledging defeat. “I thank everyone who helped me out. It’s been a lot of fun. I met some great people.”
As for the mistake, Roeder said, “I’ll get over it tomorrow when I’m out raking leaves.”
Roeder had a lot of support in the room.
“I am the happiest man having helped you, and working with all these nice people,” said former Westfield Mayor George Varelas, who worked on Roeder’s campaign. “You didn’t lose. Westfield lost.”
“I thought he did a great job,” said Bernie Rosenblum, Roeder’s campaign manager. “He got his message out on taxes, finances, bonding, the schools.”
Rosenblum said he was talking recently to Brian Sullivan’s campaign manager, who he knows well.
“We’re both proud of our candidates,” he said. “They kept it nice and clean, no attacks. The two candidates got along great.”
“He put his whole heart and soul in it,” said Catherine Roeder, Mike’s wife. “He loves the city.”
“No matter what happens, I give him credit for doing it,” his son Chris said, before the results came in.
He said that his father visited 2,200 homes in the city, which he wasn’t able to do two years ago because of a hip problem. “He got a new hip, and walked the whole city,” he said.
He said the family was hoping to get some new blood in the government, to try to make some changes.
“We’re all proud of him, no matter what,” Chris said.
Dave Flaherty said the Sullivan family has a lot of support in the city, with Brian’s brother Rick having been mayor, his brother Kevin on the School Committee, his brother Bo on the radio, and Brian himself having served on the City Council for 18 years.
“They have a long history in town,” he said.
Flaherty said Brian Sullivan also outspent Roeder five to one, spending more than $50,000 to Roeder’s less than $10,000.
To see an unofficial breakdown of entire city election results, click here.
