Some of the candidates from the crowded race to replace former Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson are calling for a recount after the third-place finisher lost by less than a percentage point.
Eleven people were competing to replace Anderson, who resigned after pleading guilty to two federal counts related to a $7,000 kickback scheme in May. The district includes parts of Fenway, Dorchester, Roxbury, and some of the South End.
Said “Coach” Ahmed, an educator from Roxbury, and Miniard Culpepper, a senior baptist, received the most votes, according to unofficial election results. In the nonpartisan election, the top two vote-getters in the preliminary go head-to-head in the November general election.
But, third-place finisher Mavrick Afonso is leading a call for a recount after falling short of second place by just 20 votes. In a press release circulated by Afonso, he said that margin is now 17 votes behind Culpepper.
Afonso files recount petition with some of his opponents
Along with fellow candidates Said Abdikirim, Samuel Hurtado, and Wawa Bell, Afonso formally filed a recount with the Boston Election Department Monday, he said in a press release.
“With so much at stake for District 7, voters deserve certainty that every ballot was counted correctly,” Afonso said in the statement. “This isn’t about politics, it’s about protecting the integrity of our democracy. The fact that other candidates and community leaders are united proves that fairness matters more than campaign lines.”
The top five candidates all finished within 1.38 percentage points of each other, according to unofficial results released by the city. Ahmed garnered 15.72 percent of the vote with 1,155 votes, and Culpepper 15 percent with 1,102 votes. Afonso earned 14.72 percent with 1,082 votes, and fourth-place finisher Hurtado earned 14.34 percent, or 1,057 votes.
Abdikraim, who was accused of harassing a state official and other voters during early voting, came in fifth with 14.34 percent of the vote, or 1,054 votes.
“This race is far too close to leave to chance,” Abdikirim said in the same release. “District 7 deserves a recount to guarantee that the outcome accurately reflects the number of votes cast.”
Ahmed, who came in first by more than 50 votes, told Boston.com that he “respect(s) the right to request a recount.
“Given the margin, I feel confident in our first place position, so I will continue knocking on doors and talking to neighbors about the issues that matter most: housing we can afford, safe streets, and strong schools,” he said in a statement Monday night.