A second recount for a state House seat has some Republicans and town clerks crying foul, but Democrats say the incumbent who lost has a right to ask the Legislature to resolve the contested election. Susan Hatch Davis, a Progressive from Washington, went to court after the November vote showed Republican Robert Frenier of Chelsea beat her by eight votes, and a recount showed he won by seven. The court refused to authorize a second recount, so Davis asked the Legislature to intervene. Now the House Republican leader is accusing Democrats of trying to steal a seat to prevent the GOP from sustaining a governor’s veto.
“We have 53 Republicans; that’s enough to sustain a governor’s veto,” said Rep. Don Turner. “If you take away one of those, and you have a person or two out sick, you can’t sustain a governor’s veto. So it’s very concerning.”
House Government Operations Committee Chairwoman Maida Townsend, a Democrat, said the recount is not partisan and is in no way questioning anyone’s integrity. She said the committee heard testimony on differing views on the topic.
“When all was said and done, our bottom line was we needed to make a decision that we felt could affirm as best as could be possibly done the will of the voters in Orange District-1,” she said.
Full Article: Some Republicans and town clerks cry foul over recount.