Votes still being counted in race for Kennedy’s House seat

BOSTON (AP) — Votes were still being counted in Massachusetts on Thursday, two days after the state’s mid-pandemic primary drew a deluge of mail ballots that overwhelmed several cities and towns.

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A tightly contested Democratic runoff in the 4th Congressional District - the seat U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III vacated to mount his failed Senate campaign against incumbent U.S. Sen. Edward Markey - remained too close to call.

Newton city councilor Jake Auchincloss widened his lead over former Brookline select board member Jesse Mermell. But the two candidates were still separated by a less than 1% margin, with five other Democrats trailing.

State law allows a campaign to file a petition by Friday for a district-wide recount if the margin between first and second place is within 0.5%. Campaigns also can ask for more narrow recounts of specific precincts or city wards.

A Suffolk Superior Court judge late Wednesday approved a petition from Secretary of State Bill Galvin, who asked for more time for cities and towns to complete their vote tallies. One town, Franklin, had yet to report any results, and officials said Newton and Wellesley still had uncounted ballots.

In November, whoever wins the 4th district will face Republican Julie Hall, an Air Force veteran who defeated David Rosa on the GOP ticket Tuesday.

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