Lisa Field declares victory in Taunton state rep race — Larry Quintal calls for recount
"The good news is that we won," Field said at her post-election party at the Ward 5 Club in Taunton. "It was only by 21 votes so it was within the margin of error."
Larry Quintal will not be conceding the race, he told the Gazette, and will instead be seeking a recount.
Voters from Taunton and Easton turned out at the polls on June 10 for a special election to choose who would replace former 3rd Bristol District State Representative, Carol Doherty.
Doherty, a Taunton Democrat, was 82 when she died on Feb. 15 this year from pancreatic cancer.
According to unofficial election results from Easton, Field won 1,032 votes while Quintal won 958 votes, giving Field a 74 point lead in Easton.
Lisa Field won 1,542 votes in Taunton, while Larry Quintal won 1,595 votes, giving Quintal a 53 point lead in Taunton, according to unofficial results from the City's website. That was not enough to overcome Field's lead of 74 votes in Easton, making for a combined lead of 21 votes for Field.
"I appreciate everything that everyone did," Field said, thanking her supporters at her victory speech at the Ward 5 Club.
"It was thousands and thousands of doors that we knocked," she added.
3rd Bristol District, consists of parts of Taunton and parts of Easton. Specifically, the district consists of Precincts 4A, 5, and 6 in the south-west part of Easton, and Ward 1 Precincts A, B, Ward 2, Ward 5, Ward 7 and Ward 8 in the west side of Taunton.
Quintal, a Republican, is a Taunton City Councilor and is co-owner/funeral director at Silva Funeral Home on Broadway in Taunton.
Quintal won his first term on City Council in November 2021 and his second term in November 2023. He told the Gazette during his State Rep. campaign he believes his profession prepared him for politics. 'Caring for and putting people first,' and 'listening to people' come naturally to him, he said.
Quintal also stated he is a small-business owner, not a lobbyist, and has no vested or special interests other than to help his community.
On why he decided to run for State Rep., Quintal told the Gazette, 'I'm not doing this for fame and fortune. I feel I have a proven track record on the local level, and I feel I can get more done and help more on the state level."
Quintal's campaign priorities have been to increase state aid to his district, improve affordability for residents by decreasing taxes and finding ways to reduce utility bills, and addressing the state's costly housing of migrants by amending the Right-to-Shelter Law.
Lisa Field, a Taunton Democrat, comes from a family of union activists and workers, she told the Gazette.
She works as associate director for the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA). Her role involves advocating for legislation for the MNA on beacon hill. Her position, she said, gives her insight into how the State House works.
Field told the Gazette she had been encouraged by her friend, Carol Doherty, to enter state politics, and, upon her death, wanted to "continue her legacy."
"I know what families in Taunton and Easton are going through because I've lived it: family and friends struggling with substance use, and the crushing weight of rising costs of living — even losing my home," Field told the Gazette.
Her campaign priorities included increasing government transparency, reviewing state education funding, examining the Department of Public Health's enforcement powers, and addressing potential impacts of federal cuts on veterans' services.
In June 2020 Doherty won the special election to fill the 3rd Bristol District State Rep. seat that had been vacated by Republican Shaunna O'Connell when she resigned to become mayor of Taunton.
Later that year, in November, she won reelection for a full-term. For both those elections Doherty's opponent was Republican Kelly Dooner, who would go on in 2022 to become a City Councilor for Taunton, and eventual State Senator when she won the seat in November 2024.
Doherty would win the 3rd Bristol District seat 2 more times before her passing.
Before her political career Doherty, a retired educator, worked both as a teacher and guidance counselor at Bennett Elementary School, and then, later on, as director of professional development for the School of Education at Northeastern University for 18 years. She also served two consecutive terms as president of the Massachusetts Teacher Association, as well as five terms on the Taunton School Committee.
In April of this year, the Taunton School Committee voted on and approved renaming a building located at 66 Summer St. to the Carol A. Doherty Professional Learning Center. The building will be used by Taunton Public Schools as a professional development center.
With additional reporting from Emma Rindlisbacher and Rebecca Hyman
This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Democrat Lisa Field declares victory in Taunton state rep race
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