Massachusetts Republican Occasion positive aspects within the state Legislature have been tempered Thursday after a Republican in Raynham determined towards searching for a recount, a transfer that confirmed conservative pickups within the Home tied with the variety of seats Democrats flipped.
However conservative political operatives and officers on the Massachusetts Republican Occasion contended that they nonetheless had a historic displaying on Election Day even when they solely managed to spice up their ranks by a single lawmaker within the state Senate.
Republicans held onto each conservative seat within the Legislature throughout a presidential election yr, which is traditionally tough for them due to robust Democratic turnout, stated Sean Powers, a MassGOP Committeeman and longtime Republican operative who beforehand helped out former Gov. Charlie Baker.
That’s on high of flipping three seats — two within the Home and one within the Senate — that have been beforehand held by the left, he stated.
“The fact that we defeated sitting Democratic incumbents and won open seats that we were competitive (during) a presidential year is extremely encouraging for (MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale) and her team as opposed to what happened the previous four years, where we lost every single special election for the Legislature, and we didn’t pick up any seats at all,” he advised the Herald.
Within the hours after Election Day, the Massachusetts Republican Occasion began taking a victory lap during which its chair proclaimed that the times of “‘business as usual’ are over” on Beacon Hill.
MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale stated it was the primary time for the reason that 1984 presidential election that multiple Republican managed to flip a state legislative seat.
Justin Thurber, a Somerset Republican, unseated a long-time Democrat and Ken Sweezey, a Pembroke Republican, received an election for the Home seat previously held by Democratic Rep. Josh Cutler.
However Democrats flipped a Plymouth space district, the place the native college committee chair, Michelle Badger, received election to the Home seat previously held by Rep. Matt Muratore, a Plymouth Republican who unsuccessfully ran for state Senate this cycle towards Rep. Dylan Fernandes of Falmouth.
And in Raynham, Republican Sandra Wright of Bridgewater stated Thursday afternoon that she deliberate to scrap plans for a recount in her race towards Bridgewater City Councilor Dennis Gallagher, a Democrat, for a Home seat previously held by Republican Rep. Angelo D’Emilia that covers each Raynham and Bridgewater.
Wright initially stated in a social media put up that she was searching for a recount “due to concerns in discrepancies in Raynham.” In a name Thursday morning, she stated that there was “a problem with the machines in Raynham, which both the Republican and Democratic Party were a little disturbed by.”
However in a follow-up name with the Herald later within the day, Wright stated logistical challenges surrounding notarization made it “kind of impossible.”
“We only have till next Friday to get all 13 precincts in. And to get every person notarized on every precinct is impossible,” she stated. “I think we did a great race and I don’t know what’s next.”
Raynham City Clerk Marsha Silvia stated one of many city’s ballot-counting machines jammed on Election Day however officers changed it and voting continued.” Ballots have been hand counted whereas the machine was jammed and nobody misplaced their alternative to forged a poll due to the malfunction, Silvia stated.
“The police officer was there and everything was done all transparent,” she stated by cellphone.
Earlier than Wright modified her thoughts on the recount, Gallagher advised the Herald that he “won my race.”
“I have won my race. I am moving forward with the next phase of my life, and I’m looking forward to being sworn in on Jan. 1,” he stated.
MassGOP Govt Director John Milligan stated the victory lap the social gathering began Tuesday evening was not untimely “at all” even because the Gallagher-Wright race drew to an in depth and the partisan breakdown within the Home was anticipated to be the identical as final session.
Milligan stated the “biggest victory of all” was not dropping any incumbents and choosing up a seat within the Senate, the place Taunton Metropolis Councilor Kelly Dooner flipped a district that was held by Marc Pacheco, a Democrat who introduced his retirement in February after 31 years.
“It is pretty unprecedented for our party not to lose ground as far as incumbents seeking reelection. And then on the Senate side, obviously, there were two main open Senate seats that both parties were eyeing and we won one of them and came within two points of winning the other,” Milligan stated, referring to the Dooner and Muratore races.
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