Fontaine aims to overcome the odds and win Brockton-only House seat as an independent

BROCKTON — Fred Fontaine has worn many hats in Brockton, from bus driver to business owner and from advocate for his fellow Haitian-Americans to deputy director of the city's Emergency Management Agency.

Now he aims to represent the city on Beacon Hill in the all-Brockton 11th Plymouth district. Notably, Fontaine has chosen to run as an independent, sometimes called unenrolled. He will be on the Nov. 8 ballot, facing the Democratic nominee.

"I'm running as an independent because it's not a party who's going to change things. It's the people," Fontaine said in an interview inside one of his many businesses, The Perfect Place Function Hall.

Two city councilors are vying for the Democratic nod: Shirley Asack and Rita Mendes.

Fontaine says too many young people are leaving Brockton after high school because they can't see a future here.

"They just feel like there's nothing in Brockton," he said. "They run away."

Fontaine said he's campaigning on three main issues: Infrastructure, public safety and education.

Like almost any candidate to represent Brockton on Beacon Hill, Fontaine said he would be best at bringing home money and resources. Fontaine said he would leverage his personal relationships, built across decades of activism and entrepreneurship. And he said he'd invite power players to Brockton, show them around the city and put a face to Brockton's needs.

As an immigrant, Fontaine said he sees other immigrants comparing Brockton favorably to bad situations in their home countries, leading them to settle for the status quo instead of pushing for better services and facilities. Fontaine came to the U.S. from Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 1981. He was 22.

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Fontaine initially settled in Cambridge, but he has built up his businesses and his relationships since moving to Brockton. If you've lived in Brockton any length of time, there's a good chance you've been a customer at one of his companies. They have included Celeb's Cuts, FDJ Realty Trust, Fontaine Cleaners and perhaps most famously, The Perfect Place, a large function hall.

In March 2021, he received the Black Excellence on the Hill Award from the state's Black & Latino Legislative Caucus. He also organized what has become an annual community cleanup: Keep Brockton Beautiful, which began when Jack Yunits was mayor. 

Fontaine made an unsuccessful bid for City Council in 2009, and has served in several mayoral administrations. He founded South Shore Haitians United for Progress, a youth and adult development non-profit.

What it's like being the only independent in the House?

Being an independent in the House is challenging, but can be rewarding, according to Rep. Susannah Whipps, who represents Franklin. Voters have elected her twice as a Republican, but most recently elected her twice as an independent. As of this writing, she's the only unenrolled member of the House. The chamber has 126 Democrats, 28 Republicans and five vacancies.

"After a few terms, I felt like I was evolving a bit. I didn't want to belong to a party," Whipps said in a phone interview. "I was choosing people over parties."

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Not being part of either of the state's political machines comes with pros and cons, she said. On the plus side is being able to support bills from any of her House colleagues or to throw support behind any candidate, no matter their party affiliation.

"If you're a Democrat, you can get in trouble," said Whipps, who caucuses with the Democrats.

The minuses are significant.

"It's lonely sometimes," Whipps said.

But the biggest drawback is cash. With no party affiliation, there's no money from either the Democratic or Republican campaign contribution pipelines. And you have to buy your own mailing lists and voter data.

"Fundraising is a little harder," she said.

Whipps' district may be more fertile ground for independents than heavily Democratic Brockton. She represents 12 towns across 340 square miles.

"When you get out here in rural Western Massachusetts, it's not Democrat versus Republican. It's West versus East, rural versus urban."

Whipps said the Democratic establishment has not frozen her out. For instance, Dems have given her committee assignments despite being unenrolled.

"It hasn't been the kiss of death, being an independent," Whipps said. 

An uphill battle?

Fontaine will face an uphill battle to win as an unenrolled candidate in Brockton, according to Brian Frederick, chair of Political Science at Bridgewater State University.

"Generally speaking, it is very difficult to win as an independent in Massachusetts politics," said Frederick. "If you're not listed as a Democrat or a Republican, the system is against you. The likelihood of emerging victorious is very, very slim."

Frederick put long odds on Fontaine prevailing in the general election against whichever Democrat emerges from the primary. He said both Democratic candidates are strong.

There's also the problem of how Fontaine would navigate Beacon Hill without belonging to either major party. If the House were more evenly divided, an independent could have more leverage. But that's not the case in Massachusetts' House right now.

"Because the Democrats don't have any threat to their majority, they'd be less likely to placate (an independent)," said Frederick.

And even should Fontaine win Brockton's 11th Plymouth seat, the partisan lean of the district might incline Democratic leadership not to play ball with him.

"They probably feel like next time a Democrat runs, they have a good chance to beat him, so why support him?" said Frederick.

None of the above challenges scare Fontaine. He has deep contacts among Democrats, and has been a Democratic delegate many times. He also courts people on both sides of the aisle. Case in point: At his function hall on Main Street, he displays not only pictures of him with Joe Biden (from when Biden was running for president), but also with local Republicans such as longtime Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz and Plymouth County Sheriff Joe McDonald.

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