Marybeth Mitts of Lenox concedes the race after midnight on Wednesday.
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Leigh Davis will represent the Third Berkshire District on Beacon Hill.
With a handful of precincts not yet reporting, she was leading opponent Marybeth Mitts by 12,603 votes to 9,480, winning 55.5 percent of the vote at as the clock struck midnight.
"This is such a special, historic moment nationally and obviously locally," Davis said, thanking her supporters at the Barrington Brewery earlier on Tuesday night.
"…we are going to be loud and we're going to be proud. And we're going to go to Beacon Hill as a unified 18-town district. So, I'm here to work for you."
Davis said she's passionately committed to address several issues including the need for affordable housing and economic development.
"We're gonna look after our seniors, our veterans, and we're going to make sure that this environment is protected and it's something that is sustainable," she said.
Davis came out on top of the three-way Democratic primary in September, winning 56 percent of the vote in the race to replace longtime state Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli. The Select Board member racked up a host of endorsements from party luminaries and local unions coming into the general election.
Vote counting in the sprawling South Berkshire district went well into the night, with a few holdouts at the respective parties waiting for numbers to come in from Lenox, Mitt's home base where she is also Select Board member.
In unofficial results, Mitts won her hometown by 276 votes, 1,638 to 1,362, and Otis and Mount Washington.
The district consists of the Southern Berkshire communities of Alford, Becket, Dalton, Egremont, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, Monterey, Mount Washington, New Marlborough, Otis, Richmond, Sandisfield, Sheffield, Stockbridge, Tyringham, Washington, and West Stockbridge.
Alford, Monterey, Washington and Sandisfield had not reported but are too small to make a difference in the outcome.
Davis' son, Sean Macken, drove out from Norwood and her daughter Sage Macken flew from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. for the election. An unexpected surprise was when her daughter Kayleigh Davis walked through the door on Saturday after being approved to leave from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado to support her mother.
Mitts' supporters gathered at the Olde Heritage Tavern in Lenox, listening to a soundtrack of ‘80s as the party dwindled down. Several visits were made to Lenox Town Hall to find out what the problem was in tallying votes. When the numbers came in, Mitts conceded.
"While the results didn't go our way, I want to start by congratulating my opponent, Leigh Davis, on a hard-fought campaign," she said. "I know she hears deeply about this community, and I wish her all the best as she steps into this important role."
She thanked her "incredible team" and her family for standing by her.
"Thank you so much for your tireless efforts, your time, your unwavering belief in this campaign. I could not have asked for a better group of people by my side," Mitts said. "We may not have won, but we made our voices heard, and I'm so proud of what we accomplished together."
Davis felt her ability to run a campaign for eight months while working full-time and raising three children tied into the issues of concern with voters like affordable housing, child care and economic development.
"These are real issues that I identify with, and I've gone through on a daily basis, and I think that resonated with voters. I think that they saw that I was a hard worker," she said.
She had earlier thanked the "Leigh Team" for their efforts in supporting her campaign.
"I'm gonna hit the ground running, and I'm feeling confident and excited for the future, and thank you so much for your belief in me and your support. And let's go forth and rock this district."
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Triplex Announces Screening of 'A Different Man'
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Triplex Cinema announced that Aaron Schimberg, the writer and director of the critically acclaimed new film "A Different Man," will be visiting the Triplex on Nov. 9 for a Q & A, following the 7:00 pm screening of his film.
Nominated for Best Feature and Outstanding Supporting Actor at the Gotham Awards, "A Different Man," released by A24 films, is a black comedy psychological thriller which stars Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve and Adam Pearson. In the film, an aspiring actor undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. However, his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare as he becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost.
Aaron Schimberg, a NY-based filmmaker, directed the critically acclaimed film "Go Down Death" (2014) and the 2019 film "Chained for Life," which also stars Adam Pearson.
Sebastian Stan is known for the films "Captain America: The First Avenger," "The Martian," "Logan Lucky" and "I ,Tonya," and most recently portrayed a young Donald Trump in "The Apprentice." His television work includes "Gossip Girl," and "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier." For his work in "A Different Man," Stan was awarded the prestigious Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at the Berlin Film Festival.
Renate Reinsve is a Norwegian Actress who shot to fame with her breakout role in the critically acclaimed film "The Worst Person in the World," for which she won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress. Adam Pearson is a British actor who made his film debut in Jonathan Glazer's "Under the Skin." Born with neurofibromatosis, he has long been involved in outreach programs connected with the disease.
With a handful of precincts not yet reporting, Davis was leading opponent Marybeth Mitts by 12,603 votes to 9,480, winning 55.5 percent of the vote at as the clock struck midnight.
click for more
Mila Marcisz ripped a shot from the top of the 18 that slipped just under the swing of teammate Adele Low and past the Mustangs keeper in the fourth minute of the second overtime to give Mount Greylock a 1-0 win. click for more
Mount Greylock dominated for much of the game, compiling a 17-4 advantage in shots on goal, not to mention numerous Mountie chances that went just wide or high of frame. click for more
Nora Schoeny, Gianna Love and Elyssa Scrimo Sunday led the Lenox girls cross country team to a narrow victory in the Division 2 race at the Western Massachusetts Championships at Stanley Park. click for more