Passacantilli Wins Preliminary,Edwards takes Charlestown and Eastie in Close Election

By John Lynds and Seth Daniels

The North End’s Stephen Passacantilli topped the ticket in the District 1 City Council race during last Tuesday’s Preliminary Election. While Passacantilli held a narrow vote margin over challenger Lydia Edwards from East Boston after all the votes were tallied last week, he has an impressive showing in the North End.

District-wide, which includes Charlestown, East Boston and the North End, Passacantilli prevailed by one percentage point over Edwards, 47 percent to 46 percent (3,624 to 3,547 votes). Candidate Margaret Farmer was eliminated from the race, but garnered a very important 522 votes, votes that are now up for grabs. Many wonder in which campaign the ‘Farmer Effect’ might lie in the City’s General Election on Nov. 7.

Passacantilli won with an impressive showing in the North End – where his base was enlivened and came out strong to put him over the top. However, that was curbed by Edwards’s wins in Charlestown and East Boston – the two most populous neighborhoods in the district.

In the North End, Passacantilli garnered 1,091 votes from supporters while Edwards finished second with 406 votes. Farmer rounded out the race in the North End with 38 votes.

Passacantilli held his post-election time at the Knights of Columbus in Charlestown and told his supporters that he was grateful to top the ticket, but the work has just begun.

“It was exciting to be on the ballot for the first time, and I’m thrilled to have topped the ticket,” said Passacantilli. “This is only the halfway point and there’s still a lot of work that needs to get done. I’m proud of the grassroots campaign we’ve built across the entire district, and I look forward to continue listening to residents about what matters most to them.”

Edwards said she was excited to have won two neighborhoods election night, and is ready to march to the Nov. 7 election – challenging Passacantilli to three debates.

“I am thrilled with the response of the voters,” said Edwards. “I look forward to a substantive discussion of the pressing issues facing this district. We have only begun our debate about our vision for the district. We have wildly different perspectives on how to move the city forward but I look forward to highlighting those distinctions. I am thrilled with the election turnout and the support I received. I look forward to a substantive contest and challenge my opponent to debates in each three of the neighborhoods we are vying to represent.”

In other parts of the district, Edwards won Charlestown’s seven precincts by a close vote of 1,317 to Passacantilli’s 1,252.

Edwards also prevailed in her home neighborhood and topped the ticket there with 1,824 votes to Passacantilli’s 1,281 votes. Farmer rounded out the Eastie election with 378 votes.