After press time: Michael J. Scarlata wins the recount for Republican State Committee Man seat in the First Essex and Middlesex Senatorial District (March 22)
*CHART PUBLISHED MARCH 21 PRIOR TO RECOUNT.
By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — The outcome of the three-way race for Republican State Committee Man seat in the First Essex and Middlesex Senatorial District was challenged last week and is the subject of a recount.
As the Transcript was going to press Wednesday, Town Clerk Susan Duplin and the town’s Board of Registrars were conducting their recount after being issued a notification from the Secretary of the Commonwealth on March 12 that the second-place finisher in that race, Clayton R. Sova of Gloucester was challenging the outcome to the apparent winner, Michael J. Scarlata of North Reading.
Just 28 votes separated the two candidates in a district that covers 17 towns and two cities. Scarlata was initially listed as the winner with 6,426 votes to Sova’s 6,398 votes. The third candidate, Jeffrey R. Yull, had 5,756 votes.
According to the notification sent to each of the town and city clerks in the district, the state’s Election Division determined that Sova’s request for a hand tabulated recount was valid.
“A petition for a district-wide recount of the votes at the March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary for Republican State Committee Man has been filed. The results of the elections, as tabulated by the Elections Division, are as follows: We’ve determined that 0.5% of the total votes cast is 94. As the difference between the two leading candidates is 28 votes, the petition for a district-wide recount is valid.”
The communities were notified that they must plan for the recount immediately because all of the candidates must be provided with a minimum of three days written notice of the date, time and location of the recount.
North Reading’s recount took place in the town’s centralized polling location at St. Theresa’s Church Hall on Winter Street.
Town Clerk Susan Duplin told the Select Board Monday night that her office is required to submit the results of the recount to the Secretary of State’s office no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, March 22. They must email the amended results by that deadline and also submit a hard copy of the amended results to the office via mail.
