DiMarca Calls for Recount

At Large City Councilor Nunzio DiMarca says he is not taking Tuesday's close loss to Israel Reyes without a fight.  

DiMarca placed fourth in a six way race (the top three were elected) losing to Reyes by 53 votes city wide. Out of Thousands of votes cast, DiMarca said that a recount could put him over the top but rejected the idea that it was sour grapes.  

"I owe it to my constituents and the people who supported me to make sure the final vote tally is accurate," DiMarca told tommyduggan.com yesterday.  

"Whatever the outcome, justice will prevail and I will live by the decision of the board of registrars."  

Rumors circulated throughout the city Tuesday even while the polls were still open that State Representative Willie Lantigua (who managed the Reyes campaign) had used absentee ballots to boost election numbers for Reyes.

Three years ago, Reyes was embroiled in controversy when (then) State Representative Jose Santiago proved to the Board of Registrars that many of the absentee ballots garnered by Reyes were done illegitimately.  

Reyes was eventually allowed on the ballot because the number of ballots proven false were not enough to overturn the election. Reyes survived a court challenge by Santiago and was allowed on the final ballot but was defeated in the general election.  

Rep. Lantigua was also accused of using absentee ballots to bloster his numbers last year when he defeated Santiago but the amount of votes needed to overturn the election could not be proven and Lantigua took office last January.

Councilor DiMarca has ten days to acquire ten signatures in each of the city's six voting wards. Once they are certified by the election department a recount will take place in City Hall where ballots can be challenged if the voter's intent cannot be determined.  

"I will have the signatures in early," DiMarca promised, "and then I will be checking on the addresses and the legitimacy of those who voted by absentee ballot. Especially those initiated by Willie Lantigua and Israel Reyes."

"Willie Lantigua has tried to block voter identification and I am well aware of how he has run campaigns in the past. I just want to make sure that justice prevails. There were a lot of shenanigans going on and the people deserve to know who really won.

Asked about a court challenge if he loses a recount with the Board of Registrars, DiMarca rebuffed, "if Israel Reyes wins after everything is looked at fairly, then so be it. I am not trying to steal an election away from a legitimate winner, I just want to make sure the winner is legitimate."  

Supporters for District "F" City Councilor Marie Gosselin said she will also call for a recount. Gosselin lost to Michael Fielding by 56 votes in her South Lawrence East District. Coincidentally, Wilile Lantigua also ran the Fielding campaign.

Of the two, DiMarca has a better chance of picking up enough votes because his recount is city wide. DiMarca only has to make up 27-54 votes out of more than 6,000 total votes cast, while Gosselin's would have to pick up that many in one district alone.

Recount papers are due back in City Hall November 17th.