Pacheco, Tam win Ninth Bristol County State Representative race

Edward Pacheco and Chester Tam will square off in November after winning the Democratic and Republican Ninth Bristol County state representative contests in the state primary election Sept. 1.

Pacheco defeated Steve Medeiros by 14 votes, while Chester Tam won his race over Henry Bousquet, 1,433 votes to 1,144. 

Regardless of the rain, 4,251 voters showed up to vote. With 2,368 residents either voting early or by mail, a total of 6,619 ballots were cast.

There were four contested races in Dartmouth; Ninth Bristol County State Representative for both the Republican and Democratic candidate, the Democratic candidate for Senator in Congress, the Republican candidate for Governor and the Democratic candidate for District 9 Representative in Congress. 

In addition to the overall district, Pacheco also won Dartmouth with 2,082 votes.

“I am ecstatic. We were outspent two-to-one but we did a tremendous amount of groundwork,” said Pacheco. 

He added, “I am so overwhelmed that I won Dartmouth under those circumstances. I think people resonated with my message of solutions and substance, and that’s the same message that we will bring into the general election in November.”

Medeiros stated he had heard there were some discrepancies with early voting and issues at some of the precincts.

“At this point, I’m not going to concede the race,'' he said not long after the vote tally was announced. "I’m just exploring the options,” said Medeiros. 

Pacheco says he and Tam have a “respectful relationship” regardless of him describing them as political “polar opposites.” 

“He is a very conservative Republican, and I don’t believe that those values, overall, resonate the needs of the Ninth Bristol District,” said Pacheco. 

Now that he will be continuing on in the race, Pacheco plans to take a day off before jumping back into campaigning. 

“I’m going to pull my team together, figure out what … was great and what we can do better so that we’re ready for November third,” he said.

Tam won with a total of 1,433 votes. He also won in Dartmouth with of 1,289 votes. 

“It feels great because it goes to show all the hard work I’ve put into the whole process,” said Tam. “Not really surprising, but I feel really good about it.”

Bousquet, received 759 votes in Dartmouth. Bousquet did win in New Bedford, receiving 385 votes to Tam’s 144.

“I wish Chester the best of luck,” said Bousquet. “I look forward to working with him, to see the Republicans eventually win the day in this seat for the Bristol ninth.”

Tam and Pacheco went to high school together.

“It’s going to be an interesting race, let’s put it that way,” said Tam. 

Now that he will be continuing in the race, Tam plans to “keep the foot on the pedal and continue pushing on.”

“There’s a lot of work to be done to reach the voters,'' Tam said. "So I can talk to everyone, not just the conservative voices in our district,” said Tam.

In Dartmouth, Michael Roger Minogue won the Republican nomination for Governor with 1,590 votes. He beat Brian Shortsleeve, who received 626 votes. Shortsleeve decided to concede and endorse Minogue, who will run against Maura Healey. 

In Dartmouth, Edward J. Markey won Democratic nomination for Senator in Congress with 2,603 votes. He beat Seth Moulton who received 1,657 votes. Markey won the nomination statewide and will be running against John Deaton. 

Bill Keating won the Democratic nomination for District Nine Representative in Congress with 2,626 votes. He beat Craig Swallow, who received 1,457 votes. Keating won the nomination statewide and will be running against R. Tyler Macallister. 

The other candidate seats were uncontested, and so the Nov. 3 ballot will be; Kimberly Driscoll and Shawn Oliver for Lieutenant Governor, Andrea Joy Campbell and Michael C. Walsh for Attorney General, Deborah B. Goldberg and Elizabeth Dionne for Treasurer, Mark C. Montigny and Robert Scott McConnell for Senator in General Court for the Second Bristol and Plymouth district, and Christopher Matthew Markey and Seth Thomas Aitken for Bristol District Attorney.

There are six positions without a Republican candidate for the final election and the Democratic candidate will be: William Francis Galvin for Secretary of State, Diana DiZoglio for Auditor, Joseph C. Ferreira for First District Councilor, Thomas Cleary Hoye, Jr. for Bristol County Registrar of Probate, Christopher T. Saunders for Bristol County Treasurer and John Thomas Saunders for Bristol County Commissioner.