The race for the 7th Hampden District seat in the Massachusetts House is headed toward a recount. Democrat Jake Oliveira leads Republican Chip Harrington by a little more than 100 votes.
The Associated Press late on Election Day had Harrington in front by a narrow margin. But the town clerk in Belchertown said there was a typo in what she sent the AP, and that it was Oliveira who was ahead.
Harrington said given that error, and other issues he's had with the clerk's office, he wants the recount — even if it doesn't change much.
"I'm being very realistic about it," Harrington said. "And I know it's very unlikely — because when you do a recount, typically, you may find a handful of ballots that were either miscounted, or not counted properly."
Belchertown's town clerk, Colleen Toothill-Berte, said Monday the error she made in transmitting the results to the AP was an honest one, and that she worked quickly to correct it.
Harrington said he's not sure if he'll request a recount in the other communities in the district, or just Belchertown.
Ludlow and parts of Springfield and Chicopee also make up the 7th District.
Harrington has until the end of business Friday to gather and submit the required signatures.
Meanwhile, Oliveira said he has confidence in the vote totals, and is preparing himself to take office in January.
"We both received the same numbers on election night," Oliveira said. "The numbers show I was ahead, and it was a slim margin that's on there. But we're prepared, on our side, for any type of recount that might move forward."
The seat was left open when longtime state Rep. Thomas Petrolati decided not to run for reelection.
