Now that the dust has settled, let’s talk about local politics. We’ll go around our circulation area.

Springfield: Mayor Domenic Sarno is the longest serving mayor in the city’s history and in politics, a win is a win even if a popular incumbent was facing a community activist who ran a campaign with extremely limited resources.

The mayor went into this election with an impressive group of accomplishments since his last election. The question is, in politics as well as show business, what is in store for the future? What economic development and job creations projects are looming? How will economic development projects be brought to the neighborhoods after years of focusing on downtown?

Successes in government must be followed by more success. That’s what voters expect and that will be the challenge for Sarno to undertake.

Agawam: Mayor William Sapelli was unopposed so the election focused on the city council, the school committee and a key ballot question. Voters rejected 58 to 39 percent the idea of allowing the sale of recreational cannabis in the town.

I find it interesting that communities with liquor establishments are so hesitant about cannabis, but this is the will of the voters.

Westfield: If there was ever an election where the phrase “your vote matters” was absolutely true, it was the mayor’s race in this city. Less than 100 votes separated the two candidates. If more people had participated, the outcome may have been different.

The winner, though, state Sen. Don Humason Jr., now has the task of uniting the city after the election. He is a well-liked and highly competent legislator and I’m sure he will take the steps he needs to take to mend political fences in the city.

Holyoke: The defeat of the debt exclusion question in the Paper City points to several larger issues.

The first is the city’s financial health. Many voters rejected this issue because of the concern that the city’s taxpayers and businesses couldn’t afford an increase. The management of the Holyoke Mall has expressed worry about the future of the retail center if taxes are raised. There is already much on the city’s plate from the cost of pensions to the commitment to clean up combined sewer overflows.

The second is this was a defeat for Mayor Alex Morse and something that could affect his congressional race against Richard Neal. Morse’s popularity with voters could not overcome their objection to the project that would have built two new middle schools in the city. The election results gave the Neal camp a huge talking point.

Now Morse needs to show considerable leadership to help craft a solution to address the city’s aging school buildings and do it in a way that will unite the city.

Chicopee: Joe Morissette told me on Election Night that he plans to run again for mayor in two years. He acknowledged that he learned a lot and that he would do some things different.

Of course, two years is a distance off and it’s quite possible that things might be different at that time.

City Councilor John Vieau has been criticized by some as being someone who would simply extend the policies of Mayor Richard Kos. Now that the election is over, he will have the opportunity of showing that he has his own vision for the city.

In the senate race, local legislators are taking sides. As I reported in our last edition, state Sen. Eric Lesser is supporting Congressman Joe Kennedy III in his effort to beat Sen. Edward Markey.

Now, state Rep. Bud Williams of Springfield has pledged his support to Markey.

This is a very interesting race with the challenge of the political status quo.

And now former Gov. Deval Patrick has entered the presidential race.

2020 is going to be an interesting year for many reasons, locally, across the Commonwealth and nationally.