Todd Taylor, a Republican from Chelsea, secured a win in his hometown, but fell short against RoseLee Vincent of Revere, who claimed a decisive victory in the 16th Suffolk District Special Election on Tuesday night. Vincent’s strong showing in Revere, combined with the overall low turnout across the region, gave her the edge.
Just 4.68 percent of voters in Chelsea cast ballots, yet Taylor still managed to collect over 129 votes in Prattville compared to Vincent’s 112. In contrast, Revere saw a higher turnout of 11.77 percent, where Vincent won decisively with 1,354 votes, far outpacing Taylor’s 457.
The results from both towns, which do not include two precincts in Saugus, showed Vincent with 1,466 votes and Taylor with 586 votes.
“It is an absolute honor to be elected State Representative of the 16th Suffolk District,” said Representative Elect RoseLee Vincent on Tuesday night. “I am humbled by the overwhelming support I received. I’m forever grateful for the support of my family, my incredibly dedicated group of volunteers and to the voters of Revere, Saugus and Chelsea in achieving this victory. I am going to hit the ground running and give my heart and soul to be a strong voice for the communities and people of the 16th Suffolk District.”
Meanwhile, in other local election news, Representative-Elect Dan Ryan from Charlestown won his race without opposition on Tuesday night.
Ryan received 356 votes in Chelsea and 1,303 votes in Charlestown, totaling 1,659 votes overall.
Both newly elected representatives will have to campaign again in September for the same seat. Already, Roy Avellaneda of Chelsea has announced his intention to run against Ryan in the September Democratic Primary. Vincent is also anticipated to face an opponent from Revere in September, though no official announcement has been made yet.
At the time of publishing, it remained unclear whether Taylor would seek re-election as a Republican in the November General Election.