Supporters rally around Nadia Milleron on election night

It was back to a party-like atmosphere here at Nadia Milleran's campaign headquarters on Island Pond Road in Springfield, despite the final results. Supporters of all ages and backgrounds came out to support her, comfort her, and hear from her, no matter how emotional they were. Although they're cleaning up right now, the room is still decked out in her campaign colors, banners, and signs. And with her supporters, they're still wearing their shirts and stickers that say, Vote Independent Nadia Milleran. Milleran is a farmer and attorney from Sheffield who became an advocate. for aviation safety after losing her daughter in a 2019 plane crash in Ethiopia. This is her second consecutive election challenging Congressman Richard Neal. After receiving 37% of the vote in 2024, she was hoping for a different outcome this time around. She even thought this campaign brought her more exposure. Many more people know about me. So the last time I ran, there was 25% visibility. That means that only 25% of the voters knew who I was, and now it's 85% visibility. So that's a huge difference. As the first results came in, Neal already had an early lead. And with those results, Milleran told her supporters, regardless of tonight's outcome, her work is far from over. She also tells us that even though she doesn't plan to run again, she will still encourage her supporters to take their concerns to elected officials and advocate for health care for all. Working for you, live in Springfield, Sarah B. Namae, 22 News.