WESTFIELD – The race to replace new federal district judge Mark A. Mastroianni as Hampden County District Attorney continues in Westfield tonight.
The four Democratic candidates for the job – Hal Etkin of Longmeadow, Brett Vottero of Springfield, Anthony Gulluni of Springfield and Shawn Allyn of Agawam – will be sitting side-by-side for a forum sponsored by The Westfield News Group and the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce at the Westfield Women’s Club at 28 Court Street.
The debate, to be moderated by WNG President Patrick Berry, begins at 7:30 p.m., and will give the four candidates an opportunity make their case to voters and to take questions regarding their platfoms for combatting crime and enforcing the laws of the Commonwealth in Hampden County.
Etkin and Vottero, 56 and 53 respectively, have spent considerable time working in the DA’s office, with Etkin serving seven years as a prosecutor under former Hampden County DA Matthew Ryan from 1984 to 1991, and Vottero spending 30 years as assistant district attorney under both Ryan and his successor William Bennett before leaving the office in 2008.
Though the two most experienced men in this race gained a large amount of their experience under Ryan and Bennett, it is the youngest candidate in the running, the 33-year old Gulluni, who has been given Bennett’s endorsement, and who has spent the past six years as an assistant DA under Bennett and Mastroianni since being admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 2008.
Rounding out the field is the 44-year old Allyn, a defense attorney from Agawam, who has also garnered significant endorsements, most notably those of State Representative Benjamin Swan (D-Springfield) and several civil rights organizations.
Although a new district attorney does not assume office until January, Tuesday’s primary election will determine who the next DA will be, due to the lack of any Republican or Independent candidates.
