The mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts has taken his first step toward re-election. On Tuesday, September 12, he came in first in the first-round election. Incumbent mayor Domenic Sarno has had the job since 2007. He faced four challengers in a non-partisan ballot. One of these challengers was, frankly, an obscure fellow who wants Springfield to host a "Rio-style Carnival." The other three were the present and two former City Council presidents. And yes, "Domenic" is the proper though somewhat unusual spelling of his first name. Blogger's spellcheck wants me to write it "Dominic" and so has given me a red squiggle. I will not surrender! Sarno did not manage to get 50% of the vote, though he came close (a bit more than 47%). The November run-off will pit him against former council president Justin Hurst (a bit less than 29%). The Carnival guy, David Ciampi, got only the votes of his relatives and close friends. Nobody is even trying to state it as ...