Low Turnout Helps Ensure No Changes in Legislative Delegation

WHAV News Staff By |

Sen. Kathleen A. O’Connor Ives of Newburyport and Rep. Diana DiZoglio of Methuen will return to their legislative seats in January.

Low voter turnout for Thursday’s state primary election may have led three incumbent local lawmakers to breeze past challenges from within their own party.

In Haverhill, Democratic Sen. Kathleen A. O’Connor Ives of Newburyport topped primary challenger Adele F. Martino of Haverhill by a nearly three to one margin and, across the First Essex senate district, by a wider 6 to 1 margin. The unofficial count in Haverhill was 1,477 votes for O’Connor Ives, 518 votes for Martino. The unofficial district-wide total was 6,155 votes, or 83 percent, for O’Connor Ives to Martino’s 1,259 votes, or 17 percent.

Rep. Brian S. Dempsey, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, ran unopposed.

State Reps. Diana DiZoglio and Linda Dean Campbell, each of Methuen, also received resounding support from primary voters in their respective 14th and 15th Essex house districts, including precincts in Haverhill. DiZoglio took 90 percent of the district-wide vote, at 2,213, over challenger Phyllis Ann Jones of North Andover, who received 249 votes total. The vote among Haverhill’s Ward 7, Precinct 2 voters was 118 to 12. Campbell, similar to O’Connor Ives, held 83 percent of her district vote, including four Haverhill precincts, to defeat challenger Christopher J. Katsoulas, also of Methuen. The vote in Haverhill was 359 for Campbell and 82 for Katsouolas. The unofficial district-wide result was 1,513 to 318 votes.

Haverhill’s voter turnout was about eight percent, according to City Clerk Linda L. Koutoulas.

Dempsey, O’Connor Ives, DiZoglio and Campbell now run unopposed in the Nov. 8 general election.

Sen. Barbara A. L’Italien.

Sen. Barbara A. L’Italien.

Upcoming November election contests include, among other area lawmakers, incumbent Sen. Barbara A. L’Italien of Andover facing Republican challenger Susan M. Laplante of Lawrence for the Second Essex and Middlesex senate district seat. Meanwhile, incumbent 18th Essex Rep. James J. Lyons Jr. of Andover will seek another term against prior House candidate Oscar Camargo, also of Andover. In 2014 Camargo, then a North Andover resident, ran unsuccessfully against DiZoglio.

5 thoughts on “Low Turnout Helps Ensure No Changes in Legislative Delegation”

  2. Incumbent liberal democrats in Haverhill have the luxury of people walking into a voting booth and checking a box for a candidate with a “D” next to their name, irregardless of any accomplishment while in office.

    It’s been two weeks now since Haverhill has become a topic of NATIONAL media coverage when two criminal illegal trespassers in this country dragged a young woman into the woods at a city park and raped her. These three female state reps. along with Haverhill city council members Barrett and Daly O’Brien, have not said a word about it.

    We learned yesterday a criminal trespasser who murdered someone in Puerto Rico was hiding out in Haverhill. This morning’s news is that an illegal trespasser living in Lawrence was caught selling drugs in Haverhill. EVERY day there is yet another incident of people who are in this country illegally being caught committing some serious crime in Haverhill. And these are the stories that are reported. Many incidents happen where it is never reported in the local newspapers.

    The citizens of Haverhill, and specially women in Haverhill, are in serious danger every day from the criminal invaders in the city. Yet, here are these five female elected officials who say nothing about it. Being a democrat in Haverhill means keeping your mouth shut to support the liberal agenda even when it’s negative affects are causing significant harm in the city literally every day.

    • Well said Jack – of course, the ONLY time this life and death issue will be addressed by one of these hacks – or their myopic and low information supporters – is when one of their own is killed by an illegal – which will happen in time.

      Of course – the only ‘action’ they’ll take – is to blame Republicans for not creating enough mid-night basketball courts, or enough “safe spaces” where these “dreamers” can hide – and “dream” of taking more lives.