After a slim recount loss, Townsend Republican Andrew Shepherd will problem the results of the first Middlesex District state consultant race in courtroom.
Shepherd will ask a state choose to evaluation the results of the race after 114 newly counted votes narrowed Pepperell Democrat Margaret Scarsdale’s as soon as 17-vote margin of victory to simply seven.
In a Facebook publish on Wednesday, Shepherd maintained, as he has all through the election course of, that his intention was to make sure “every ballot was legally cast and properly counted.”
“My greatest concern throughout this recount process was to make sure that every ballot was legally cast and properly counted,” Shepherd stated within the publish. “Our democracy affords us the opportunity to check, challenge, and verify the results of close elections – ultimately reaffirming confidence in our system.”
That stated, Shepherd did query many facets of that course of and stated his workforce had discovered various inconsistencies within the ultimate depend. He additionally questioned whether or not each voter had been despatched the correct poll following the state’s redistricting course of in 2020.
“Regardless of political party, it would be a stretch of the truth to have witnessed this process and say every town’s count was without irregularity,” Shepherd stated. “I do want to commend our town clerks and registrars for conducting this recount to the best of their ability, but I believe they are executors of an imperfect system where natural human error calls into question the outcome of a race this close.”
“After much deliberation over the challenged ballots and other procedural errors, my team believes we have a credible argument worthy of a judge’s review that could materially affect the representation of this district for the next two years.”
Shepherd additionally stated the choice to take authorized motion was not a straightforward one and affirmed that, via that call, he didn’t imply to indicate the election had been “stolen.”
“I do not undertake the decision to go to court lightly and I want to be clear: this election wasn’t ‘stolen’ – it’s just excruciatingly close,” he stated. “I believe that every single town clerk, registrar, and poll worker acted in good faith. I believe that the vast majority of ballots – mail-in, early, and in-person – were legally cast.”
“But given the errors uncovered during the recount and the newness of mail-in voting by right in Massachusetts, I believe the unique circumstances of this election deserve a second look by a judge,” Shepherd stated.
In her personal Facebook publish on Tuesday, Scarsdale forged doubt on Shepherd’s problem and requested supporters to assist “defend the integrity of the democratic process.” Later, in an announcement on Thursday, she stated she was “disappointed” in Shepherd’s “eleventh-hour filing” however remained assured in the results of the race.
“Our team is still reviewing this eleventh-hour filing from the Shepherd campaign to overturn our victory in court,” Scarsdale stated within the assertion. “We are disappointed at Mr. Shepherd’s attempt to circumvent the will of the voters across the district. We remain confident that our local election officials have conducted this election and the subsequent recount with integrity and transparency and that the court will uphold our victory.”
“I look forward to being sworn into the Massachusetts House of Representatives on January 4th and continue to meet with leaders across the district in preparation. I am committed to representing all constituents of the First Middlesex District and working closely with our municipal leaders to overcome the financial strain this lawsuit will pose for our communities,” she stated.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”