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In a convincing victory, incumbent state Sen. Mark Montigny defeated challenger Molly Kivi in the Democratic primary for the 2nd Bristol and Plymouth seat. But Kivi isn’t ending her campaign yet.
Key 2024 election dates
The state’s primary election is just two weeks away — on Sept. 3, the Tuesday after Labor Day. The general election follows nine weeks later on Nov. 5.
Sept. 3 primary election
Key dates in the primary election for New Bedford voters:
Aug. 24: Last day to register for primary election voting.
Aug: 26: Last day to apply for voting by mail in the primary election.
Aug. 24-30: Early voting for the primary election, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the New Bedford Main Public Library, 613 Pleasant St.
Sept. 3: Primary election. Polling hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Nov. 5 general election
The general election is Nov. 5, with a new set of deadlines.
Oct. 26: Last day to register for voting in the Nov. 5 election.
Oct. 28: Last day to apply for voting by mail in the Nov. 5 election.
Oct. 19 to Nov. 1: Early voting from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Main Public Library, 613 Pleasant St.
Nov. 5: General election. Polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
More voter info
Where do you vote? To find your specific polling location, enter your street address and postal zip code in this online form. Check the list of New Bedford’s polling locations here.
Get additional info on voter registration, eligibility, requirements, etc., at the Massachusetts Secretary of Commonwealth website.
Find a list of Massachusetts candidates in the Democratic and Republican primary races.
Learn more about voting in New Bedford and find applications for absentee ballots and applications for voting by mail at the New Bedford Election Commission website.
Find additional information about voting in Massachusetts at Vote 411, from the League of Women Voters Education Fund.
Preliminary results from New Bedford, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, and Mattapoisett show Montigny winning with 77% of votes, while Kivi received 19% of votes. Results from Acushnet were not immediately available on Tuesday night. The Associated Press called the race for Montigny.
There were no candidates in the Republican primary, so Montigny’s name will be the only one on the ballot in November’s general election. But Kivi, an accountant and first-time candidate, said she planned to run a write-in campaign following her primary defeat.
“Those voters deserve something to vote for and something to make dialogue happen,” she said. “More policy talk is definitely needed.”
Montigny did not return a voicemail seeking comment Tuesday night. But in an emailed statement, he attributed his victory to his and his staff’s advocacy against “ineffective bureaucracy” and his “dogged determination” to pass legislation benefiting the district.
“Contested races are healthy, and I am thankful for the continued support of my hometown as I continue to push back on special interests and deliver massive infusions of state funding and innovative policy and legislation to keep our home the special and unique place that it is along Buzzards Bay,” he said.
Results
Kivi planned to keep campaigning because violence in the district has gone unaddressed, the Massachusetts Statehouse is the most corrupt in the country, and other members of the party tried to intimidate her to stop her from running, she said.
She said she thought it was strange that the vote breakdown was about the same in every town — roughly 80% to Montigny and 20% to Kivi — even though she campaigned differently in each town. She said she also thought it was strange that her percentage of the vote was similar to the percentage of blank ballots cast in past uncontested primaries in the district.
“The numbers just look like a candidate didn’t even run against Senator Montigny,” she said. “The numbers show that I just picked up the blanks from previous elections.”
Kivi said she wanted to see more detailed voter information noting, “I don’t trust numbers until I can see the data backing it up.”
Kivi said she has not called Montigny to concede because he did not respond to her when she reached out to him earlier in the campaign.
Montigny has been challenged in only two other elections since he was first elected to the seat in 1992. He beat an independent in the 2006 general election and another Democrat in the 2008 primary, both times with more than 80% of the votes.
On Tuesday, preliminary results show that Montigny received 77% of votes in New Bedford, 78% in Dartmouth, 77% in Fairhaven, 80% in Acushnet, and 76% in Mattapoisett. In the five towns, Montigny received a total of 8,457 votes and Kivi received a total of 2,102 votes, out of the 10,921 ballots cast.
Email Grace Ferguson at gferguson@newbedfordlight.org
Editor’s note: This story was modified on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, to add comments from Molly Kiva and results from Acushnet.
“Massive infusions of state funding”? We can’t even get a $1m from the state to properly fix the intersection at Tucker Rd and Rte 6. Give me a break.