Sousa Bests Shepard In Framingham State House Primary

FRAMINGHAM, MA — School Committee Chair Priscila Sousa defeated former Framingham city councilor Margareth Shepard in a primary contest for a vacant state house seat.

Priscila Sousa defeated Margareth Shepard by about 250 votes, according to her supporters. With no Republican seeking the 6th Middlesex seat, Sousa will waltz to victory in the November general election.

"Whether you voted for me, did not vote for me or did not vote at all, now is the time for all of us to come together and work for the best interests of everyone in Framingham," Sousa said Tuesday night. "From the moment I announced this campaign, it has been about our kids, our small businesses, our environment and our future. Framingham has a bright future. But we must come together to make that future a reality."

The Framingham House race began almost a year ago, when former state lawmaker Maria Robinson was tapped for a job in the U.S. Department of Energy. After Robinson's confirmation in the U.S. Senate earlier this year, former city councilor Margareth Shepard was the first to enter the contest to replace her.

Local activist Dhruba Sen entered the race after Shepard, followed by Sousa at the end of February.

The race drew lines in the Framingham political scene, with officials like state Rep. Jack Lewis, state Sen. Jamie Eldridge and councilors Adam Steiner, Cesar Stewart-Morales and Tracey Bryant backing Shepard; and City Council Chair Philip Ottaviani, councilors John Stefanini and George King Jr. and school committee member Jessica Barnhill behind Sousa.

Robinson did not endorse a candidate in the 6th Middlesex race.

"I congratulate Priscila Sousa for her election and wish her the best on representing us at the State House," Shepard said in a Facebook post after the results came in Tuesday. "For the past seven months, we spoke with the voters about our shared values, and despite all challenges we remain true to our beliefs that 'the end doesn't justify the means,' and that campaigning is not a game of illusions to gain votes, but a real opportunity to bring honest informations to the voters."

All candidates in the 2022 primary are facing a new electoral scene in Massachusetts. This primary was the first under the state's new voting law, which legalized voting by mail and allowed a week of early voting leading up to the Sept. 6 primary.

Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin — who is facing his own primary challenge in 2022 — forecast that over 1 million voters would head to the polls on Tuesday. But as of last Thursday, more than 31,000 had voted early and about 700,000 voters had requested mail-in ballots, Galvin said.

Check back for updates on vote totals as cities and towns report returns.

6th Middlesex state House

• Dhruba Sen — 129
• Margareth Shepard — 1,409
• Priscila Sousa — 1,647

Democratic Attorney General

• Andrea Campbell — Declared winner by Associated Press
• Shannon Liss-Riordan —
• Quentin Palfrey (dropped out)

Democratic Auditor

• Christopher Dempsey —
• Diana DiZoglio — Leading with 54.1% of vote as of midnight

Democratic Governor

• Sonia Chang-Diaz (dropped out)
• Maura Healey — Declared winner by Associated Press

Republican Governor

• Geoff Diehl — Declared winner by Associated Press
• Chris Doughty —

Democratic Lieutenant Governor

• Kim Driscoll — Declared winner by Associated Press
• Tami Gouveia —
• Eric Lesser — Conceded race to Driscoll

Republican Lieutenant Governor

• Leah Allen — Leading with 51.6% of the vote as of midnight
• Kate Campanale —

Democratic Secretary of State

• William Galvin — Declared winner by Associated Press
• Tanisha Sullivan —