Incumbent Ward 4 Councilor Timothy Purington isn't running for reelection, pitting Hernandez against Jason Ferreira.
Libby Hernandez, Ward 4 City Council candidateHOLYOKE – Libby Hernandez is running for Ward 4 City Council because, she said, she wants to give more people a voice in government.
“I’m running because I would like to empower more people,” said Hernandez, 39, of 245 Walnut St.
The seat will become open because Ward 4 Councilor Timothy W. Purington isn’t running for reelection.
Hernandez is competing for the seat against Jason P. Ferreira, of 13 School St.
A property manager with the Holyoke Housing Authority, Hernandez said July 20 she realizes that getting more people, including Hispanics, involved in government and getting them to vote will take great effort.
“I’m going to get out there and I’m going to speak to them, try to communicate to them that they do have an option,” she said.
She has never held elected office, she said, and believes that would help her with voters frustrated with long-time politicians. But she also is someone who can work with the “old guard,” she said.
“We need to deal with really changing the face of politics of the way things are run. ... I think more people should come in with the attitude, ‘I don’t owe you any favors, you don’t owe me any favors,”‘ Hernandez said.
Public safety and economic development are the two most important issues because people want to feel secure in their homes and neighborhoods and confident the city is improving, she said.
Hernandez, who said Libby is her full first name, is married to Oscar Hernandez, a master technician at Devonshire Apartments on Holy Family Road. She has four children.