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Joe Pires won the Republican primary for Bristol’s 10th state representative district, the seat that Bill Straus will vacate after 32 years of service. Pires, the three-term School Committee member in the Old Rochester Regional district, won 69% of the tallied votes with all districts reporting. Pires will face Democrat Mark Sylvia in the November general election.

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.

Pires, of Rochester, bested Robert McConnell, of Fairhaven, in a rare Republican primary in the district that includes Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester, Fairhaven, and sections of Acushnet and New Bedford. This marks the second consecutive election that McConnell has failed to advance from the primary in Bristol’s 10th. 

Neither Pires nor McConnell could be reached for comment on Tuesday night. 

Joe Pires

The lone Democrat, Mark Sylvia, had garnered more votes in his unopposed primary than both Republicans combined.

Sylvia, the former state undersecretary of energy and Fairhaven’s town moderator, celebrated the results by hosting a small gathering at his home for campaign volunteers. “I’m very humbled by today’s results,” Sylvia said. “The campaign has been working hard for the last several months and I’m very proud to be the Democratic nominee.”

Results

Sylvia said he treated the primary campaign like it was contested and competitive, which meant knocking on doors and holding community events. Already Sylvia has outraised his Republican opponent by more than a factor of five — the most recent filings show that Sylvia has $35,392 in his campaign account, compared to Pires’ $6,530.

Sylvia said he is excited to continue on to the general election. “I look forward to the campaign and campaigning with a positive message. I also look forward to contrasting our platform with the other candidate’s platform. And I’m proud to have the endorsement of Representative Straus.” 

About the general election campaign, “That starts tomorrow,” Sylvia said. 

Email Colin Hogan at chogan@newbedfordlight.org

Editor’s note: This story was updated on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, to add additional voting results.