A recount of votes in a Massachusetts state House of Representatives race has placed a Democratic challenger ahead of a Republican incumbent by a single vote after the latter was initially leading following the Nov. 8 elections.
Democrat Kristin Kassner, a first-time candidate, is now leading her Republican opponent Lenny Mirra in the race for the newly redrawn North Shore district, a coastal region between Boston and New Hampshire.
Prior to the recount, Mirra, a five-term Republican, had led Kassner by 10 votes out of the 24,155 votes that were cast across the district, according to the original certified results from Election Day.
However, the 10-vote margin is within the legal threshold that allows for a recount, and Kassner later submitted a petition asking for a district-wide recount of the Nov. 8 election.
Secretary of State Bill Galvin agreed to the hand recount, which was ordered on Nov. 30, as well as another in the First Middlesex District race.
After officials recounted the votes on Dec. 8, the results flipped to put Kassner up 11,763 votes to Mirra’s 11,762.
Kassner picked up a total of 19 additional votes, including 10 in Ipswich, four in Rowley, three in Topsfield, one vote in Newbury, and one vote in Georgetown, according to data provided by Galvin’s office (pdf). Mirra, meanwhile, added five votes in Ipswich, three in Topsfield, and one in Newbury.
The Republican candidate also lost a single vote in Rowley, according to the data.
Mirra to Challenge Recount Results
Mirra told The Boston Globe that he plans to challenge the results.
“Some [ballots] were filled out in pencil, some were filled out with different colored ink, some had stray marks. Some had a name written in the write-in and then an oval filled out,” Mirra said.
Kassner, however, told The Boston Globe that she believes the voting process “unfolded like it should,” adding that while the results show she’s leading in the race, a tight margin means it’s “hard to allow yourself to be too excited until the plane is landed.”
The Democrat also told CBS that she doesn’t believe anything suspicious took place with regard to the recount.
“[The recount] was just really just to ensure that, between humans and machines, we really caught every vote that was counted,” Kassner said. “We thank the tremendous outpouring of people that really got involved and mobilized to go through this process this weekend. It’s really a true test of democracy.”
The results have yet to be certified by Gov. Charlie Baker and a council for review.
Elsewhere, Galvin ordered a recount of the First Middlesex District race, when Republican Andrew Shepherd petitioned for one after the initial count saw Democrat Margaret Scarsdale ahead by 17 votes, according to the Globe.
The recount showed that Scarsdale’s lead has since narrowed to 11 votes, according to the publication, although there were still more than 4,100 ballots that needed to be counted.
Article cross-posted from our premium news partners at The Epoch Times.
Why the National Debt Is the Looming Threat to Your Retirement Plans
The Hidden Crisis No One Is Talking About
Every day, headlines warn about inflation, market volatility, and global instability—but the greatest looming threat to your retirement might be something far more fundamental: America’s skyrocketing national debt.
You can learn more about how the national debt affects you by reading this 3-minute report titled, “Debt Will Hit $40T in 2026: Prepare Your Retirement Now“.
With debt growing faster than most Americans can possibly fathom, the government’s borrowing habits have reached historic—and dangerous—levels. To cover spending, Washington is making moves with their budget packages, tariffs, and taxes. Is it enough? No. It’s not even close to what would be necessary to stop out-of-control debt, let alone reverse it.
How Debt Erodes Your Nest Egg
There are only so many levers government and the Federal Reserve can pull to try to protect Americans, assuming that’s even a top priority for them. Unfortunately, pulling one level to relive one pressure invariably adds pressure from another direction. This is why prices keep going up even as inflation reportedly slows.
For retirees and pre-retirees, that’s a perfect storm. The dollars you’ve worked hard to save lose value, and your cost of living increases while your investments lag behind.
If you’re relying solely on paper-based assets—stocks, bonds, or mutual funds—you’re essentially tied to the same system that’s creating the problem. It’s a system that was designed to work well in the 20th century, not in today’s world with people living longer and the dollar rapidly losing value.
This is why the 3-minute report, “Debt Will Hit $40T in 2026: Prepare Your Retirement Now,” is so important.
The Precious Metals Hedge
Thousands of Americans are looking for a tangible, time-tested hedge: physical gold and silver.
Unlike paper assets, precious metals aren’t dependent on government policy or the stock market’s mood swings. They’re real, finite resources that have maintained value for thousands of years through wars, recessions, and inflationary periods.
In fact, during times of high inflation and fiscal instability, gold often performs its best—because it’s seen as a store of value when faith in the dollar weakens. This is why prices have skyrocketed this year and are expected by many economists to continue going up in the future.
Take Control with a Gold IRA
One of the most effective ways to protect your retirement from national debt fallout is through a self-directed Gold IRA. This IRS-approved account lets you hold physical gold and silver within your retirement portfolio, giving you:
- Direct ownership of your assets
- A hedge against inflation and dollar decline
- The control to diversify beyond Wall Street
Augusta Precious Metals specializes in helping Americans just like you take this step with confidence. The company has earned a strong reputation for transparency, education, and personalized service—making it one of the most trusted names in the industry.
The Next Step: Secure Your Financial Future
Augusta Precious Metals has helped thousands of Americans with at least $50,000 to invest from their IRAs, 401(K)s, TSPs, and other retirement accounts safeguard their savings through precious metals.
If you’re concerned about what the rising national debt could mean for your future, now is the time to act.
Read this 3-minute report titled, “Debt Will Hit $40T in 2026: Prepare Your Retirement Now“ and learn the simple steps you can take to protect your retirement.
