Sep 23, 2008 5:53 pm US/Eastern
Recount Granted In Democratic Primary
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Dianne Wilkerson (file image)
WBZ
A recount in a hotly contested State Senate race is moving forward.
Both Dianne Wilkerson and
Sonia Chang-Diaz requested recounts after Chang-Diaz won the Democratic nomination last week by 228 votes, beating the 14-year incumbent.
On Tuesday, city officials confirmed that the dozens of signatures turned in by Wilkerson and Chang-Diaz are legitimate.
City Hall officials say the Boston Democrat submitted the signatures of at least 50 registered Democrats in each of the five Boston wards where she has asked for the recount.
Chang-Diaz asked for a recount in a single ward.
The recount is scheduled for Saturday. The official results from the Sept. 16 primary for the Second Suffolk Senatorial District were 8,853 votes for Wilkerson and 9,081 for Chang-Diaz.
A spokesman for Wilkerson says the decision to pursue a recount came after reports of voting irregularities in some wards. Wilkerson has represented the district since 1993.
Supporters of the 14-year Senate veteran -- the only black member of the Senate -- say some ballot boxes were broken or not counting properly and at least one voting place looked closed even though it was open.
Wilkerson had touted her record on gay rights and fighting predatory lending in her rematch with Chang-Diaz, who narrowly lost their first race in 2006.
Wilkerson has been dogged by controversy for much of her 14-year Senate career, but this time, her financial troubles appeared to be too much for voters to ignore.
Last month, Wilkerson agreed to pay a
$10,000 fine and forgo about $30,000 in debts she said her political committee owed her after acknowledging she failed to keep proper campaign records from 2000 to 2004.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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