Back in October, the primary election to succeed now U.S. Senator from Massachusetts Ed Markey’s vacant House of Representatives 5th District seat took place pitting state Senator Katherine Clark (D-Melrose) against Republican challenger Frank Addivinola. So now it’s time to wake up, District 5, because election day is upon us, taking place tomorrow in a collection of Bay State cities and towns across Middlesex, Suffolk, and Worcester counties.
When incumbent Secretary of State and Beacon Hill resident John Kerry was appointed by President Barack Obama to replace Hillary Clinton in his cabinet, a chain reaction was ignited that saw a need for someone to fill Kerry’s then-Senate seat, as well as the seat that had been vacated in order to replace him.
Both Clark and Addivinola won the primary for their respective parties by considerable margins, Clark having beaten Democratic runner-up Peter Koutoujian, Middlesex County Sheriff, by a 10-point gap. She collected 32 percent of left-wing votes cast – 21,959 ballots – while Addivinola won the right in a landslide with 49 percent of the Republican vote for the District – though it only amounted to 4,760 votes.
Though little media attention has been shone on the race since the October primaries, it’s thought that Clark will take the election handily as a Democratic streak has been running through the District for decades. And not only did more Democrats turn out to the primary election, but Clark had owned pre-primary polls across the board, not to mention big-name endorsements from the likes of Attorney General Martha Coakley and EMILY’S List.
She’s also a legislative veteran, holding positions in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate, as well as chairing the Senate Committee on Steering and Policy and Joint Committee on the Judiciary.
Addivinola is something of a newcomer, not boasting much congressional experience but offering a business, biomedical, and law acumen the likes of which aren’t often seen. He has a slew of higher-educational degrees to back up his multifaceted prowess, but his election may be hampered by the overwhelming sentiments for his opponent’s political affiliations.
For those who reside in District 5, a locale that can often be confusing due to its taking some, but not all, wards from Cambridge and Sudbury, check out this election calendar courtesy of the Massachusetts Secretary which describes the cities and towns that comprise the district.
Further voter information, including primary election results, can be found here. If you didn’t register to vote by November 20 than unfortunately you’ll have to sit this election out on the sidelines.
