Willy Lantigua, Marcos Devers competing for 16th Essex District House seat

Do a Google search on Willy Lantigua and the headlines paint a bleak picture: “Controversy surrounding Lawrence Mayor William Lantigua,” “Can William Lantigua survive?”

The articles stem from his tumultuous four years in office, during which he and members of his administration were under near-constant investigation by federal and state authorities.

In April of this year, former Lantigua aide Leonard Degnan was sentenced to 18 months in the Essex County House of Correction for allegedly strong-arming a city contractor into donating a garbage truck to a small town in the Dominican Republic.

Despite the headlines, Lantigua was never charged with any wrongdoing, save for a slew of campaign finance violations, which included illegal contributions and improperly recorded donations.

Last year, Lantigua narrowly lost the mayor’s office to former City Councilor Dan Rivera. This year, he’s running for the 16th Essex state representative seat he vacated after being elected mayor.

“I’m answering the call of the people,” he said in a recent interview. “They keep asking me to continue in a leadership role.”

Running as an independent, Lantigua will face off against incumbent Marcos Devers in the November 4 state election.

Marcos Devers (Banner photo)

Devers did not return the Banner’s phone calls. His campaign manager, Dan Mackland-Rivera, said he was confident Devers would be re-elected.

“People are very excited about this election,” he said. “Some people who haven’t voted in years want to vote for Devers because they know Lantigua is running against him.”

Lantigua, too, says he has the support of the voters. Standing in front of his Essex Street campaign office, Lantigua stops his conversation at regular intervals to respond to passersby offering handshakes and hugs.

The race between Lantigua and Devers could be close, observers say.

Devers may have alienated some of the city’s predominantly Dominican voting base by refusing to support School Committee member Pavel Payano, who was defeated in his bid for the state Senate in the September 9 primary by former state Rep. Barbara L’Italien.

“People are very mad with Devers,” said Lawrence radio personality Jose Ayala. “Some of Devers’ supporters worked on Barbara L’Italien’s campaign.”

Devers is also catching flack for what some see as a laid-back legislative schedule. According to roll calls and travel vouchers Devers submitted, he spent just 47 days at the State House in the last year.

“I think it’s going to be a close race,” Ayala said. “If Devers doesn’t get out and explain things like his attendance at the State House, I think it’s going to be difficult for him. Willy still has a lot of people who trust him.”

Lantigua says he’s earned the voters’ respect during his years of public service, noting that he entered the mayor’s office in 2010 facing a $30 million deficit, inherited from outgoing mayor Michael J. Sullivan. Lantigua borrowed $35 million from the state to help bring the city’s finances back in line.

“I left the city well organized,” he says. “I balanced four budgets in a row with real numbers. I had two budget surpluses of $7 million and $10 million. It was the first time in 50 years.”

The city’s bond rating, which had hit rock bottom, was upgraded under Lantigua’s watch.

“We did a lot of good that the media chose to ignore,” he says. “Unemployment dropped from 18 percent to 11 percent.”

Digging the city out of its fiscal hole may have cost Lantigua some political capital. He laid off police officers and sold off the unmarked cars many of the officers took home for personal use, while the department paid for insurance and gas. Although the crime rate dropped under his administration, Lantigua was blamed for an initial increase in crime in Lawrence. His relations with the police remained icy.

Lantigua may have also alienated some in the city by terminating longstanding contracts with tow companies, private snow removal firms and other contractors who did business under the city’s previous administrations. The first Dominican to lead Lawrence— and only the second Dominican ever elected mayor in the United States— Lantigua ran an administration that awarded contracts to Dominican businesses as well as businesses run by whites.

“Willy is a lot more aggressive than Marcos,” said Marvin Venay, who served as executive director of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus while Lantigua and Devers were each in office. “That’s not a knock on Devers. They just have different approaches. They both care a lot about Lawrence, by all means. Devers is a lot more cordial, whereas Willy is a lot more assertive.”

Whether it’s due to his assertiveness or his willingness to break the decades-long lock that white Lawrencians have had on the city’s politics and municipal contracts, Lantigua has made enemies. A 40-minute interview with the candidate took place under the glare of a heavy-set, bespectacled man in a Lincoln Town Car at the curb just before Lantigua’s Essex Street office.

“He’s always there,” Lantigua said of the observer.

For now, Lantigua says, he’s focused on winning the 16th Essex race, one vote at a time.

“My target is to knock on every door in the district at least two times,” he said. “I work from the premise that I’m behind by one vote from the beginning to the end. The rest is up to the people.”