Both candidates in the Massachusetts Democratic primary for state senator filed petitions Thursday for a district-wide recount following an election this week that saw a three-vote difference as of Thursday morning.
Incumbent Sen. William Brownsberger, of Belmont, is being challenged for the seat by Daniel Lander, of Boston. The winner will move to the general election in November, where he faces no Republican opponent to represent the Suffolk and Middlesex District—a district that includes Belmont, Watertown, and parts of Boston and Cambridge.
According to Belmont Town Clerk Ellen O’Brien Cushman, Brownsberger filed his petition Thursday morning with 171 signatures that have since been certified. The certification process for Lander’s petition is underway, she said.
Local election officials must certify petitions by noon on Friday, and campaign staff must file the certified petitions with the Secretary of State’s office by 5 p.m. the same day, according to Communications Coordinator Debra O’Malley.
Initial reports from Tuesday’s election showed Brownsberger holding a narrow, 61-vote lead over Lander. An update to the results from Boston Wednesday morning pushed Lander into the lead, 12,088-12,068, a 20-vote difference.
According to the latest Associated Press vote totals, the gap has since closed to a three-vote difference between the two candidates, with Lander at 12,132 votes compared to Brownsberger’s 12,129.
Brownsberger won the Belmont vote, outpolling Lander 3,974-1,793. Lander, meanwhile, has held the lead in Watertown, as well as the parts of Boston and Cambridge that represent the district.
The deadline to file district-wide recount petitions with local election officials in the district was 3 p.m. on Thursday, according to state guidance.
“Thousands of voters braved everything from the rain to moving trucks to make their voices heard yesterday, and every single one of their ballots must be counted,” Lander said in a statement. “We trust the process—and we look forward to a thorough, fair, and accurate count that reflects the will of the people.”
On Thursday morning, Brownsberger’s campaign team put out a call for “recount observers” for a recount he anticipates will take place next week.
In other contested races, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, state Rep. David Rogers, District Attorney Marian Ryan will each move forward as Democratic nominees for the general election in November. In the Democratic primary for the Governor’s Council, Mara Dolan earned the nomination.
In the sole contested race on the Republican primary ballot, Michael Minogue received the nomination to move forward as the party’s candidate for governor.