Robyn Kennedy Upsets Worcester Mayor In State Senate Primary

WORCESTER, MA — Former YWCA executive Robyn Kennedy defeated Worcester Mayor Joe Petty in the 1st Worcester state Senate primary race Tuesday, winning all but one town in the district in her first run for elected office.

The two Democrats sparred all summer over their qualifications to take over a seat held for more than 20 years by Harriette Chandler, who is retiring at the end of the year. Chandler was the first woman to hold the seat in 100 years when she defeated now Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. in a 2000 election.

Petty called Kennedy around 8:30 p.m. to tell her he was conceding, which he later announced to supporters at an Election Night party at El Basha around 9 p.m.

"I wish Robyn Kennedy all the best, I’ll be supporting her in November. I encourage all my supporters to join her campaign to keep the 1st Worcester District blue," Petty said in a tweet Tuesday night.

Tuesday's primary results almost certainly mean Kennedy will take Chandler's seat in the November election. The only other candidate in the race is independent Lisa Mair, who will face a serious uphill battle to win the safely Democratic senate seat that covers most of Worcester plus Northborough, Berlin, Boylston, Bolton and West Boylston.

Kennedy was the first candidate to enter the 1st Worcester race in March, backed by many of Worcester's most progressive elected officials, including District 5 Councilor Etel Haxhiaj and School Committee member Sue Mailman.

Chandler did not endorse in the race, but congratulated Kennedy on the win.

"Over the coming weeks I will do all that I can to make sure Robyn is elected in November. I look forward to working with her to ensure a smooth transition for the First Worcester District," Chandler said in a tweet.

Petty entered the race shortly after Kennedy, a move many expected even before Chandler announced her retirement in January. He entered the race with a high profile inside and outside the district — as mayor, he chairs school committee and city council meetings, and was one of the main public faces of the city's COVID-19 response over the last two years.

Petty also had a bigger campaign account than Kennedy. He spent over $100,000 in the final three months of the primary campaign compared to Kennedy's $58,000, according to state records.

Both candidates knocked doors, attended community events and courted high-profile endorsements. U.S. Sen. Ed Markey held an endorsement event for Petty earlier this summer, and the mayor partied with local rapper Joyner Lucas on the first day of early voting in Worcester last week.

Kennedy, a former YWCA of Central Massachusetts executive, also had strong backers. Former lieutenant governor and Worcester mayor Tim Murray endorsed her, as did her former boss, Deval Patrick.

The race grew ugly at times. Petty filed a complaint against Kennedy's campaign in July alleging they had worked with a political action committee against state campaign finance laws.

Petty faced questions who would take over as mayor if he left his municipal post. At-Large Councilor Donna Colorio would be first in line to take Petty's seat, and Colorio's record as a conservative was the subject of a campaign mailer in August.

Kennedy won the towns of Northborough and Boylston outright, and bested Petty in the core parts of Senate district in Worcester. The district covers almost all of central and northern Worcester.

Turnout in Tuesday's primary was about the same as the 2021 municipal election at 16.56 percent, according to unofficial results. The last statewide primary in 2020 drew about 29 percent turnout, but that year included a heated race between Joe Kennedy and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey.

Of the 18,077 votes cast in Worcester on primary day, close to 7,000 came through the weeklong early voting period — a new voting feature from a new law passed earlier this summer.

With results from all of Worcester's 38 precincts in at 9:15 p.m., Kennedy was winning with about 53.7 percent of the vote to Petty's 46.2 percent, according to the Worcester City Clerk.

"Let's rest for a couple of days, and then we have to get back to work," Kennedy said in a victory speech at Nuestra on Tuesday. "The work goes on to Nov. 8."

Check back later for full vote totals in the 1st Worcester and other primary day races

1st Worcester District state Senate (all cities/towns)

Worcester

• Robyn Kennedy — 5,182
• Joe Petty — 4,457

Boylston

• Kennedy — 372
• Petty — 314

West Boylston

• Petty — 522
• Kennedy — 401

Berlin

• Kennedy — 360
• Petty — 124

Bolton

• Kennedy — 625
• Petty — 193

Northborough

• Kennedy — 1,098
• Petty — 787

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 the 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 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 —

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Princeton is part of the the 1st Worcester Senate District.