Michael D. Bissonnette

{{Short description|American politician}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}

{{BLP sources|date=March 2011}}

Michael D. Bissonnette is the former mayor of Chicopee, Massachusetts.{{cite web|url=http://www.chicopeema.gov/page.php?id=60 |title=Mayor Bissonnette's Office |publisher=chicopeema.gov |accessdate=2010-11-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529044350/https://www.chicopeema.gov//page.php?id=60 |archivedate=2010-05-29 }} Bissonnette was first elected mayor in a landslide in the November 2005 election after he defeated embattled mayor Richard Goyette, who has been arrested weeks prior on federal extortion charges.{{Cite web|url=http://archive.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/11/09/bissonnette_bests_embattled_mayor_in_chicopee/|title=Bissonnette bests embattled mayor in Chicopee - The Boston Globe|website=archive.boston.com|language=en|access-date=2020-02-29}} Bissonnette served as mayor from 2006 through 2013, but was unseated by Richard J. Kos, who had previously served as mayor,{{Cite web|url=https://www.masslive.com/news/2016/07/ex-mayor_michael_bissonnette_s.html|title=Former Chicopee Mayor Michael Bissonnette settles charges over election fracas|date=2016-07-22|website=masslive|language=en|access-date=2020-02-29}} in the 2013 general election.{{Cite web|url=https://www.masslive.com/politics/2013/11/former_chicopee_mayor_richard.html|title=Former Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos ousts incumbent Mayor Michael Bissonnette from office|date=2013-11-06|website=masslive|language=en|access-date=2020-02-29}}

After leaving the mayor's office, he served as interim DPW director for the Town of Greenfield from November 2014 until May 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://www.recorder.com/Archives/2014/11/GreenfieldDPW-GR-111114|title=Former Chicopee mayor to head DPW temporarily|last=McKIERNAN|first=Kathleen|date=14 November 2014|website=Greenfield Recorder|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=29 February 2020}} He challenged Kos to a rematch in 2015{{Cite web|url=https://digital.nepr.net/news/2015/10/28/in-chicopees-mayoral-race-a-familiar-rematch-for-kos-bissonnette-and-voters/|title=In Chicopee Mayoral Race, A Rematch For Kos, Bissonnette And Voters|website=digital.nepr.net|access-date=2020-02-29}} but was unsuccessful.{{Cite web|url=https://www.masslive.com/politics/2015/11/chicopee_2015_election_richard.html|title=Kos beats Bissonnette by 2-1 margin in Chicopee election|date=2015-11-04|website=masslive|language=en|access-date=2020-02-29}} He returned to his law practice shortly thereafter. In 2019 Kos announced he would not seek re-election and Bissonnette was one of several candidates to run for the seat.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thereminder.com/localnews/chicopee/former-mayor-michael-bissonnette-enters-2019-mayor/|title=Former Mayor Michael Bissonnette enters 2019 mayoral race|last=Dobbs|first=G. Michael|date=2019-08-07|website=Reminder Publications|language=en|access-date=2020-02-29}} He was eliminated in the City's preliminary election in September of 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.masslive.com/news/2019/09/chicopee-election-john-vieau-and-joseph-morrissette-winning-top-spots-for-mayor-to-move-onto-november-election.html|title=Chicopee election: John Vieau and Joseph Morissette win top spots for mayor|date=2019-09-18|website=masslive|language=en|access-date=2020-02-29}}

Bissonnette lives in Chicopee with his wife Erin.{{Cite web|url=https://www.masslive.com/criesandwhispers/2013/08/chicopee_mayor_michael_bissonn_1.html|title=Chicopee Mayor Michael Bissonnette, Erin Bresnahan announce engagement|date=2013-08-16|website=masslive|language=en|access-date=2020-02-29}}

Chicopee is a city in Western Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, a total population is 54,653.