Jake Auchincloss declares victory in Massachusetts 4th Congressional District, Julie Hall has not conceded yet

Democrat Jake Auchincloss declared victory over Republican Julie Hall in the open 4th Congressional District race on Tuesday, but Hall had not conceded as of 11 p.m.

Auchincloss, a Newton city councilor, told reporters before 11 p.m. in Needham that the voters in the 4th District “have elected me to represent them in Congress.”

As of 11 p.m., Auchincloss had a 66% to 34% advantage over Hall — with more than half of precincts reporting. The Associated Press had yet to call the race at 11 p.m., and Hall had not yet conceded.

The race is to fill the seat of departing Congressman Joe Kennedy III, who lost his Senate bid to U.S. Sen. Ed Markey in September.

Outside the polls in Brookline Tuesday afternoon, Auchincloss said he was confident that he would keep the 4th District blue.

“We’ve put together, since the very beginning, a full district campaign representing everywhere from Fall River to Brookline and the towns in between,” he said while joining supporters outside the Florida Ruffin Ridley School. “I’m confident that broad base of support is going to carry me to victory.”

In September, Auchincloss narrowly defeated Jesse Mermell in the crowded Democratic primary. Auchincloss, a self-described “pragmatic progressive” who was briefly a Republican, took heat from his progressive primary rivals for comparatively moderate stances on key issues.

The general election was a contest between two military veterans. Auchincloss, 32, was a U.S. Marine captain who served in Afghanistan and Panama. Hall, 62, was a U.S. Air Force colonel who oversaw medical centers.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3oXzZlu