Paul DePalo appeared on his way to taking over the Worcester County seat on the Governor’s Council.
With 253 of 254 precincts reporting, the tally in the 7th District was 72,847 votes (62.5%) for DePalo and 43,750 votes (37.5%) for Rafferty, according to the Associated Press.
This year there are no Republicans in the running, putting all the focus on Tuesday’s primary.
In Worcester, Democratic primary voters handed DePalo a 14,657 to 9,158 win over Rafferty.
The 7th District seat has been empty for almost a year. Five-term incumbent Jennie L. Caissie, a Republican of Oxford, resigned from the council in October to become clerk magistrate of Dudley District Court.
The Governor’s Council, consisting of eight elected members, approves gubernatorial appointments for judges, clerk magistrates, public administrators, parole board members, and other officials. It also votes on pardons and commutations.
The district encompasses most communities in Worcester County and a few in bordering Middlesex, Hampden and Hampshire counties.
