Former Peabody State Rep. Leah Allen Wins Lieutenant Governor Nod

DANVERS, MA — Former Peabody State Rep. Lisa Allen will be on the ballot for lieutenant governor in the November general election after winning a close battle for the Republican nomination.

The Associated Press called the race for the Danvers resident mid-morning on Wednesday after the tally was tight between Allen and State Rep. Kate Campanale for much of Tuesday night.

As of 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Allen had a 10,000-vote lead on Campanale with 93 percent of precincts reporting. Allen stood at 52.2 percent to Campanale at 47.8 percent.

Allen had formed a "ticket" with former State Rep. Geoff Diehl early in the campaign to battle the rival ticket of businessman Chris Doughty and Campanale. Allen and Diehl staked out the right wing of the party, while Doughty and Campanale campaigned more to the center of the political spectrum in a state that has been kind to moderate Republican gubernatorial candidates in recent years.

But Diehl wound up outlasting a late Doughty surge with the AP declaring him the winner at about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. However, the Allen/Campanale contest was much closer for a much longer time.

While candidates often team up on a "ticket" for support, the respective vote totals ultimately determine who goes on to the November ballot.

Allen will face off against a familiar face on the North Shore after Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor on Tuesday in a three-person field. Driscoll will form a ticket with Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Maura Healey, who ultimately ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)