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DARTMOUTH — Edward Pacheco, a Democrat, won a decisive 56% to 44% victory over Republican Chester Tam in the 9th Bristol state House District.
Pacheco takes the seat held by Rep. Chris Markey, a Democrat, who is running for Bristol County District Attorney against Republican Seth Aitken.
Pacheco won 9,558 votes to 7,483 for Tam in the district, which encompasses all of Dartmouth and three precincts in the far north of New Bedford.
Pacheco’s win came in a midterm election where voters nationally were motivated to come out, and Dartmouth was no exception, with a 55% voter turnout rate.
“I am going to the Statehouse to be an advocate for the people of this district,” Pacheco said in his acceptance speech. “I will listen, ask questions, challenge ideas when necessary, and work with anyone willing to deliver results for our communities.
“I did not run for this office because I wanted a title. I ran because I believe our communities deserve a full-time representative who takes this responsibility seriously,” he added. “Tonight, you have given me that opportunity.”
Tam conceded the election and congratulated Pacheco on his victory.
“I entered this race because I believe this community deserves strong representation on the issues that matter to Dartmouth and New Bedford,” he said. “I wish Pacheco well and I hope he takes responsibility for serving the district and making our community stronger.”
Both candidates spoke with The Light the morning of Election Day as they held signs outside the precinct at the Dartmouth Youth Soccer Club.
Pacheco said his emphasis on working-class bona fides resonated and the impact of Trump policies on everyday life would work in his favor.
“I’m thinking a lot of the voters may have buyer’s remorse from their Trump decision,” he said.
Tam felt his arguments focused on the cost of living resonated with voters.
“Many people have told me about how difficult it is to live here,” he said. “There are people thinking about an exit strategy in Massachusetts.”
High turnout
The town reported that 5,804 voters had cast ballots before Election Day, out of a total 26,095 registered voters. Another 8,592 voted Nov. 3, bringing the total number of voters to 14,396.
The line at the soccer club where 268 had voted by 10:03 a.m. pointed to a high turnout.
Voters at Dartmouth Town Hall kept poll workers moving, submitting 480 ballots by 11:02 a.m. Dale Carroll, a Dartmouth retiree, was among them. He said affordability motivated him to vote straight Democrat.
“We’re seeing what we pay for groceries now and that affects us,” said Carroll. “I’m trying to see if somebody can get out there and address that.”
Robert Gonçalves voted straight Republican. The 82-year old said concerns around “socialism” and immigration motivated his vote.
“I don’t know how we got to this point where socialism has taken over,” he said. “Donald Trump has done a lot for this country.”
About affordability, he said he doesn’t know how the youth make things work, but he’s sure Trump’s policies will bring prosperity.
“You have to suffer a lot for things to get better,” he said.
The race
Pacheco entered the race after a bruising Democratic primary against real estate consultant Stephen J. Medeiros. He won the acrimonious race by a mere 14 votes, reaffirmed by a recount.
Tam entered the race after beating former New Bedford City Councilor Henry Bousquet for the Republican nomination in the primary and receiving his endorsement.
Tam, who has worked in information technology, lost his job at Mass General Brigham due to not being vaccinated against COVID-19 in 2022. He said that people have the right “to choose what to do with [their] own body.”
Tam’s prospects going in were mixed in a district that grew more conservative in the 2024 election but saw twice the number of Democrats vote in the primary as Republicans. That mirrored an enthusiasm gap between the parties widely noted in reporting nationwide.
The race revolved largely around three housing developments recently approved by Dartmouth aiming to bring the town to the 10% affordable unit threshold required by the state’s 40B housing law. Both candidates expressed discomfort with the developments, saying that they did not take local needs into consideration. The developments will bring 570 units online, 149 of which will be classified as affordable.
The candidates were largely in lockstep when they spoke with The Light on 40B. They argued that local authorities needed a greater say in project approval. They pointed to concerns around the ability of local infrastructure to handle the influx of housing. They also supported reform of 40B.
The candidates’ differences came out most starkly with their reactions to the South Coast immigration raids in late September. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement claimed to take 82 immigrants into custody over the course of a three-day operation.
Pacheco, a descendant of immigrants from the Azores and Portugal, condemned the operation, saying that law enforcement has to be “lawful. It has to be fair and it has to be humane.”
Tam, the grandson of immigrants from mainland China and Hong Kong, was more reserved in his criticism. He said ICE needed to be sure of who they detained. He also cautioned against judging ICE agents, saying that though operations were disruptive, ICE is “trying to do the best job that they can.”
Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Edward Pacheco is of Portuguese, Azorean descent.
Contact Kevin G. Andrade at kandrade@newbedfordlight.org.
