Write-In Candidates Revive Competition for Voters in State Races

Five lawmakers, including Franklin's State Senator Becca Rausch, might have spent months thinking they had a casual stroll to reelection this fall, but they will now face major-party opponents after a batch of candidates secured last-minute spots on the ballot.

Half a dozen people received enough write-in signatures in last week's primary election and filed the necessary paperwork to receive a party's nomination as senator or representative, Secretary of State William Galvin's office confirmed, boosting the amount of competition in a cycle where voters in many districts have few choices.

One of those candidates, Christopher Thrasher of Westport, will challenge for an open House seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Paul Schmid of Westport. The others will create head-to-head reelection contests for three state representatives and two state senators.

To make the ballot through traditional means, candidates had to file nomination papers with the secretary of state's office by May 28.

But there's another route. Candidates who missed the earlier deadline could also earn their party's nomination by winning the primary as a write-in candidate and securing at least as many write-in votes as the signatures required to make the ballot -- 300 for senator, 150 for representative -- then submitting a written nomination acceptance and a receipt from the State Ethics Commission.

Forty-two House districts and 12 Senate districts will now feature contested general elections in November as a result of the write-in nominations. That's an increase over the 39 House Districts and 10 Senate districts that previously forecast to have actual competition, but still only a shade above one in four out of all 200 legislative seats up for grabs.

In one case, write-in success means the GOP will challenge the Democrat who two years ago won by the narrowest margin possible.

Rep. Kristin Kassner of Hamilton unseated former Republican Rep. Lenny Mirra of Georgetown in 2022 by a single vote after a recount. Mirra raised objections over the recount process, but final authority over seating representatives rests with the House, and legislative leaders followed the recommendations of a Democrat-led panel to declare Kassner the victor.

To secure reelection, Kassner will now need to fend off a challenge from the GOP's Mark Tashjian, a business owner and member of Georgetown's Finance Committee.

Tashjian touts himself as an entrepreneur and owner of a "successful polo club." Top issues on his campaign site include shifting some school-related decisions to the "parental or school district level," incentivizing more middle-income housing, and boosting transparency "on where your tax dollars go."

Videira Makes Her Move

A pair of senators are now set for contested reelection bids as well.

Republican candidate Dashe Videira of Franklin made the ballot to challenge Democrat Sen. Becca Rausch of Needham in a Senate district that cuts across parts of Norfolk, Worcester and Middlesex counties.

The area could be competitive. Two years ago, Rausch won reelection with about 55 percent of the vote against former Republican Rep. Shawn Dooley. Rausch herself took office by narrowly defeating GOP Sen. Richard Ross in 2018, before the district was redrawn in redistricting.

The current, economically diverse district, has the potential to offer surprises.

Similarly, Democrat challenger Sheila Dibb of Rutland secured enough primary write-in votes to face Republican Sen. Peter Durant of Spencer. Durant is seeking his first full term after winning a special election last year, which flipped the district formerly held by Democrat Sen. Anne Gobi.

Dibb is the only Democrat running for a legislative seat who earned a spot on the general-election ballot through a write-in campaign. All of the candidates who earned their party's nomination to the House through write-in votes are Republicans.

Gerald Joseph O'Connell of Yarmouth will challenge first-term Democrat Rep. Christopher Flanagan of Dennis, who two years ago flipped the Cape Cod district previously held by Republican Rep. Tim Whelan.

West of Boston, Democrat Rep. Carmine Gentile of Sudbury will now face only his second general election opponent since he first won in 2014. Wayland Republican Virginia Gardner got enough write-in votes to oppose Gentile, who easily defeated GOP contender Ingrid Centurion in 2020.

Thrasher is set to face Steven Oullette, a Democrat and vice chair of Westport's Select Board, and three unenrolled candidates: Jesse Gelais of Acushnet, Laura Hadley of Westport, and Manuel Soares Jr. or Westport.

The Republican newcomer to the ballot is also involved in Westport town government as a member of the School Committee and Finance Committee, and he works as an attorney.

The Eighth Bristol district has not elected a Republican state representative since some time before 1970, but Republicans are hopeful they can compete. In his last reelection campaign, Schmid won with 53.5 percent of the vote to 46.4 percent for Republican Evan Gendreau.

Correction: An earlier version of this story listed the incorrect deadline for House and Senate nomination papers. The deadline for non-federal candidates was May 28.