Massachusetts primary day: Congressional races down to the wire
Congressional primary races across the Bay State were too close to call Tuesday evening after candidates spent the day crisscrossing their districts and claiming momentum on the final day of voting in an unprecedented election amid the coronavirus pandemic.
All eyes were on the packed 4th Congressional District race for U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III’s open seat — in addition to the hotly contested 1st Congressional District battle between longtime incumbent U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse.
The 4th Congressional District race has seven Democrats jostling for Kennedy’s open seat: Jake Auchincloss, a Newton city councilor and former Marine captain; Jesse Mermell, a former Brookline Select Board member and Gov. Deval Patrick aide; Becky Grossman, a former Middlesex County assistant district attorney and Newton councilor; City Year co-founder Alan Khazei; former Wall Street regulator Ihssane Leckey; social epidemiologist Natalia Linos; and attorney Ben Sigel.
Linos said it had been an “exciting day” traveling across the district and speaking with voters.
“I look at data for a living, and there’s still so much uncertainty,” Linos said less than an hour before the polls closed at 8 p.m., later adding that she wasn’t sure if they would have to wait a day or more to get a result in the crowded race.
Grossman at 8 p.m. said she felt “really energized” and excited for the results to start coming out.
“I have felt a lot of enthusiasm for this campaign in these closing days of the race,” she said.
The district spans 34 cities and towns, including communities near Boston such as Brookline, Newton and Wellesley, along with communities in the southern part of the state like Taunton and parts of Fall River.
“I am incredibly enthusiastic about the turnout and energy behind my supporters in these last few, crucial hours,” Khazei said.
The victor of the Democratic primary will face the winner of the Republican primary between Julie Hall and David Rosa.
In western Massachusetts, Neal was looking to fend off a challenge from Morse, who has a major progressive backing.
“The Neal team has had a great day across Central and Western Massachusetts, with thousands of door knocks and phone calls getting our supporters out to vote,” a spokeswoman for the Neal campaign said in a statement. “We hear it with every conversation: The voters know that Richie Neal has consistently delivered for this district. We are very confident in our work today and leading up to Election Day.”
Morse, in Springfield ahead of the polls closing, said people across the district were “fired up.”
“The future of Western Massachusetts, the future of our country is on the ballot, and it starts here in Western Mass.,” Morse said in a Facebook video.
“Let’s bring this home, and let’s win tonight,” he added.
It’s a Bay State primary unlike any other as hundreds of thousands across the state had already voted early and by mail amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Ahead of Tuesday’s primary day, more than 800,000 voters had filled out ballots in the state’s Democratic and Republican primaries, including about 676,000 mail-in ballots and 180,000 voters who participated in early voting at the polls.
Around 300,000 people were expected to vote in-person on Tuesday.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2QHuXtI
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