DiDomenico Wins Democratic State Primary

Everett City Councilman Sal DiDomenico won a special primary for the state senate seat formerly held by Anthony Galluccio this past Tuesday, narrowly beating out second-place finisher Timothy R. Flaherty by roughly 130 votes.

Flaherty has since called for a recount, citing narrow margins and “voting irregularities in Everrett” in a statement posted on his campaign’s Web site.

His campaign declined to comment regarding the voting irregularities to which the statement refers.

Flaherty’s statement was unclear as to whether or not he is calling for a recount in every ward, or just in Everrett.

According to the Brian McNiff, the spokesman for the Massachusetts Secretary of State, no official papers have been filed to start a recount.

Flaherty has until next Monday to petition for a recount, as stipulated by election rules that allow candidates to make this request within six days of an election.

According to the Secretary of State’s Web site, a recount petition requires 10 signatures per ward being recounted, and 50 signatures if the ward is located in Boston.

McNiff said that recounts are not rare, estimating that in an average year there is at least one election in which a candidate requests one.

“It happens more often than you might think,” he said, adding that recounts generally do not change the outcome of the race.

“But every race is different,” McNiff said.

The senate seat was vacated in January when former Senator Gallucio resigned before the end of his term. Galluccio was sentenced to a year in prison in January, after he violated his probation for a hit-and-run accident by failing a series of breathalyzer tests.

Flaherty intends to run again for the senate seat in the regular primary in September, regardless of the results of the recount, according to campaign spokesperson Dory Clark.

“Given that this has been such an incredibly close election, we are not sure of our strategy going forward,” Clark said. “However, right now, it certainly looks like he will be running again.”