Recount vowed in Plymouth, Barnstable senate seat race. What is next?

The Republican primary electio n on Tuesday for the senate seat for Plymouth and Barnstable was coming down to just a few votes Wednesday morning as state Rep. Mathew Muratore, R-Plymouth, pulled ahead of Kari MacRae, R-Bourne.

As of 9:20 a.m. Wednesday, MacRae had secured 6,928 of the total votes and Muratore had collected 6,978 , according to Associated Press tallies, based on unofficial results .

MacRae showed a significant lead in Barnstable County by winning 61.5% of the vote, with Muratore securing 38.5% of the vote. Tables turn in Plymouth County where Muratore held the lead with 58.8% of the vote, and MacRae trailed with 41.2% of the vote.

Mass. state primary election results: Winners in the primary election on Cape Cod and the Islands: state representative, senator

For MacRae, the numbers are too close for comfort. She intends to request that all the votes in Plymouth and Barnstable County be recounted by hand, she said. "There's only 50 votes between us so obviously I'm sitting on pins and needles," said MacRae.

For the race to come down to 50 votes against a 10-year incumbent shows people understood her message, she said.

MacRae said she spoke to Muratore Wednesday morning about the race. The two will work together, she said, to ensure voting counts are accurate in Barnstable and Plymouth County. It could take up to four weeks for all votes to be recounted by hand, she said.

Muratore told the Times in an email early Wednesday he was crunching numbers.

"On behalf of our entire campaign team, I am pleased and honored to have earned the support of the voters in the Plymouth and Barnstable Senate District in yesterday's Republican primary," Muratore said in a statement on Wednesday midday. "While the final handful of votes remain to be counted, we are confident in our lead, and — most importantly — we are grateful to the voters that put their trust in our campaign."

Muratore said he believes in healthy competition, and he congratulated MacRae "on her spirited campaign," the statement read. "The focus of my campaign has now shifted to the November general election. My probable Democratic opponent, Dylan Fernandes, is an extreme progressive with a far-left voting record that I believe the vast majority of voters will agree is dead wrong and dangerous on many key issues."

Who else is running for the state senate seat?

State Rep. Dylan Fernandes , a Democrat from Falmouth, will face either Muratore or MacRae in the general election on Nov. 5.

Regardless of who is the victor of the Republican primary, Fernandes said Wednesday he's focused on his campaign, which rests heavily on making the Cape and surrounding areas an affordable place to live.

"Whoever the Republican opponent is, there will be big differences in the race when it comes to issues of affordability, housing, child care, health care and supporting women's reproductive freedom," said Fernandes.

“That’s particularly true on this issue of affordability,” said Fernandes. Muratore, he said, is the only politician in the region of either party to vote against the Affordable Homes Act.

“It’s a really extreme position to take. It will only make the Cape area more expensive for people who are struggling to get by,” said Fernandes.

Fernandes said he's looking forward to the November election. "People should vote. Decisions we make now will have big impacts on generations to come," he said. "There's a lot at stake in this race. There is a lot of reason to turn out come November."

Why is the seat vacant?

State Sen. Susan Moran, D-Falmouth, the incumbent, is not running for reelection.

The Plymouth and Barnstable district consists of Bourne, Falmouth, Kingston, Pembroke, Plymouth and Sandwich. The towns of Mashpee and Plympton were added to the district in 2023 after statewide redistricting.

How does a recount work?

If a candidate wants ballots recounted by hand, they will need to fill out a form that will question why they want a recount, said Dennis Town Clerk Theresa Bunce. Town clerks from areas relevant to the race will then pull together a team to do the recount, said Bunce.

During hand recounts, said Bunce, there can be minor voter errors found on ballots.

"Meaning someone may have not colored in an oval correctly and the tabulator couldn't read it. Or a voter might color in one oval, scratch it out and color another. A tabulator will read that as an overvote," said Bunce.

Bunce didn't comment on the state senate race for Plymouth and Barnstable specifically, but she said a 50-vote discrepancy between two candidates may not seem like a lot of votes. But in her experience, voter intent has never changed by that many votes.

"Fifty challenges and 50 valid circumstances might be hard to find," said Bunce. "But who knows? You never know what's going to happen."

Rachael Devaney writes about community and culture. Reach her at rdevaney@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @RachaelDevaney.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Recount vowed in Plymouth, Barnstable senate seat race. What is next?