Evan MacKay ’19 Files for Recount as Decker Holds on to 41-Vote Lead

Former Harvard labor leader Evan MacKay ’19 filed a recount petition for the 25th Middlesex Democratic primary on Friday, after incumbent State Rep. Marjorie Decker gained a 41-vote lead when officials finished counting ballots, according to a press release from MacKay’s campaign.

The decision to request a recount is the latest development in the contentious race between Decker and Mackay. Though the tight margin between the two candidates was not close enough to trigger a district-wide recount, MacKay requested a recount in each individual ward.

“A cornerstone of this campaign has always been that democracy happens in the daylight,” MacKay said in a statement. “With such a close margin, voters deserve to know with certainty the exact tally and that’s why I am requesting a recount, which we hope will be over quickly and make things clear.”

The contest between Decker, a fixture of Cambridge politics, and MacKay was one of the most closely watched races ahead of Tuesday’s election, and the preliminary results Tuesday night showed MacKay with a slight lead over Decker.

MacKay claimed victory Tuesday night as they led Decker by 40 votes with 99 percent of ballots counted. But in a surprising twist, the results of the election flipped on Wednesday after the remaining votes were counted.

Decker wrote in a statement to The Crimson that “we are grateful for all of the hard work of the Cambridge election commission.”

“We have confidence in their ability to count votes,” she added. “A recount is a tool of the democratic process so we welcome that and look forward to the outcome.”

The race was the closest in Decker’s career since she entered politics 25 years ago. During her tenure, Decker has never received less than 83 percent of the vote.

The Cambridge Election Commission must now process and verify the recount petitions before it can announce the election certification, which is expected to be completed by Friday evening.

According to independent local journalist John Hawkinson, the electoral commission still needs to process and verify the recount petitions, which Cambridge Election Commission staff anticipate will be done by 10pm on Friday.

—Staff writer Benjamin Isaac can be reached at benjamin.isaac@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @benjaminisaac_1.

—Staff writer Avani B. Rai can be reached at avani.rai@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @avaniiiirai.