Brigid O’Malley ‘29
News Editor
The results are in on the Worcester City Council election. After challenger candidate Jermoh Kamara called for a recount on the extremely close Worcester City Councilor-at-Large election results, incumbent Morris A. “Moe” Bergman has been confirmed with a 32-vote lead. The recount concluded on Nov. 23, reconfirming Bergman as the electee.
Bergman is an attorney who has served on the city council for two prior terms. He is a self-identified moderate democrat, and votes with the council’s conservative leaning majority. According to his campaign platform, he emphasizes modest property tax increases, investments in public infrastructure (specifically road repairs, parks, and local recreation), and public-safety policies that increase community policing.
Supporters point to his record of working across party and neighborhood divides. He has often backed modest-scale development projects aimed at revitalizing older city districts rather than enabling large-scale commercial expansion, and he has been a strong advocate for local small businesses. Bergman has advocated for programs to increase homeownership, hoping to double funding for handouts to first time and existing homeowners.
After the initial results on Election Night placed Bergman narrowly ahead, Kamara exercised her right under city rules to demand a recount.
Over two days, election officials manually recounted ballots from all precincts. They reviewed absentee ballots, inspected undervotes and overvotes, and corrected several scanning and sorting errors. At the end of the process, Bergman’s lead grew slightly to 32 votes.
The closeness of the race signals a shifting political climate in Worcester. Kamara, a community-based organizer, energized younger and more progressive voters, with many voicing desire for more aggressive approaches to housing affordability, social equity, and neighborhood revitalization. Bergman’s victory, then, reasserts a moderate, cautious governance. Council members and civic watchers expect him to continue supporting infrastructure upkeep, modest economic development, citywide public safety reforms, and maintaining a stable tax base.
With the recount settled, the council now turns toward a year of policy debates on housing, infrastructure, and economic growth, issues on which Bergman’s perspective will shape the discussions ahead.
Featured image courtesy of MassLive.com
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