Gloucester Democrat Eileen Duff has officially emerged as the winner of the 5th District seat on the Governor’s Council.
Duff secured the seat with 50,713 votes over Haverhill Republican Maura Ciardiello. She won with 203,496 votes to Ciardiello’s 152,783 votes, or by roughly 57 percent of the vote to 43 percent. Election night reports had indicated a much closer race.
Duff carried her hometown and the rest of Cape Ann. On the North Shore, she won Beverly, Danvers, Hamilton, Ipswich, Peabody and Salem.
“Gloucester really came out for me; Cape Ann really came out for me,” Duff said.
Ciardiello took just 10 of the 38 towns in the 5th District. She carried her hometown of Haverhill, along with Andover, Dracut, Methuen, Rowley, Tewksbury, Topsfield, Wenham, West Newbury and Wilmington.
Duff said she’s heading onto the council with an open mind.
She said she plans to use the seat as a way to bring district concerns right to the governor.
“If the representatives on Cape Ann and any other communities that I represent have concerns and need another voice,” Duff said yesterday, “I’m ready to be that.”
