At 10 p.m. last night, it was d?©j? vu all over again for the 34th Middlesex District when newly elected state representative Carl Sciortino ran into Orleans in Davis Square, stood on top of a chair and announced his victory to cheers from the crowd.
Less than two months before, Sciortino claimed victory over 16-year incumbent Vincent Ciampa in the same way, but a write-in challenge from Ciampa made Sciortino's win in the general election yesterday uncertain.
"I just have to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart," Sciortino told an overwhelmingly supportive crowd that moments earlier had booed live news footage of President George W. Bush and cheered whenever states were declared for John Kerry.
"We have a lot to be proud of," Sciortino said. "I hope I make you proud."
Sciortino said the final vote tally was uncertain as of last night, but that the victory was "overwhelming."
Ciampa's write-in campaign had been characterized by a number of mailings that said Sciortino was an "anti-Catholic extremist" and "militant homosexual activist."
The mailings were sponsored by the conservative Parents Rights Group. Sciortino told the Daily last week that he considered the mailings "despicable hate mail."
"We stayed positive, we stayed focused every step of the way," Sciortino said to the crowd gathered at Orleans. "We ran a respectful campaign."
"I look forward to working with [Medford] Mayor [Michael McGlynn] and [Somerville] Mayor [Joe] Curtatone," and all levels of local government, Sciortino said. He pledged to make sure that "every family in Massachusetts is protected, fought for, and defended."
Earlier in the day, supporters of both Sciortino and Ciampa held signs at polling places in Medford and Somerville. Ciampa's signs urged voters to "stick with" him, in a nod to the stickers he sent to voters in hopes they would be placed in the write-in space on the ballot.
On their way into the polls, some voters could be seen holding the sticker books Ciampa had sent out.
Before stepping down from his makeshift stage, Sciortino urged bar patrons to stay at Orleans and cheer on Kerry.
Sciortino won the Sept. 14 primary by 93 votes.
