The Massachusetts State House race between Democrat Kristin Kassner and five-term Republican Rep. Lenny Mirra has been a month-long roller coaster of results. After the initial certified results, Mirra was ahead by 10 votes out of more than 23,000 cast across the North Shore district. This slim margin allowed for a recount to be requested, which overturned the results to give Kassner the lead by a single vote. The updated results will now go to Gov. Charlie Baker and the Governor’s Council for recertification.
The race has been an interesting one, especially considering that the district’s political lines have been substantially reshaped. Mirra voted against the bill that enshrined mail-in and expanded early voting as permanent features of Massachusetts elections, as did the rest of the House GOP caucus. The race also pitted a Baker-endorsed incumbent against a first-time challenger who was backed by Attorney General and now Gov.-elect Maura Healey.
The recount process was intense, and the margin of victory extremely close. The process spanned five of the district’s six communities, and the result flipped when officials finished retabulating ballots from the final precinct. Mirra plans to challenge the outcome in court, as attorneys for both sides “questioned and challenged several dozen votes” during the recount. If the result holds, it would reflect another blow for Republicans, and expand the gains Democrats made to their legislative supermajority this cycle.
The race has highlighted the state’s voting reforms, and the importance of each individual vote. It is a reminder that every person’s vote matters and that the outcome of an election can come down to a single vote. This is not unprecedented, as a Boston City Councilor emerged victorious by a single vote following a recount in 2019, and twelve years ago, a recount narrowed the gap between Democrat Rep. Geraldo Alicea and his Republican challenger to a single vote, which triggered a new special election.
The Massachusetts State House race has been an exciting one, and the outcome could have a significant impact on the state’s political landscape. It is certain to be an interesting case to follow as the results are further reviewed.