Canton residents have three days left to vote early in a primary that will almost certainly decide who represents them on Beacon Hill.
No Republican filed for the 6th Norfolk District State Representative seat. That means the winner of the Sept. 1 Democratic primary will face no major-party opponent in November. The seat opened after state Rep. William C. Galvin chose not to seek re-election.
Three Democrats are competing: Stephen "Steve" Cavey, Lisa Lopez and Michael Loughran. Lopez, a former Canton Select Board member, chairs the town's Affordable Housing Trust and led its municipal energy aggregation program, Canton Electrical Choice. Background on Cavey and Loughran was not available from public sources reviewed for this article.
The 6th Norfolk District covers Canton, Avon and parts of Stoughton.
Early voting schedule
Early voting runs through Friday, Aug. 28, at Town Hall, 801 Washington St. The remaining hours, according to the town's election calendar:
- Wednesday, Aug. 26: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Thursday, Aug. 27: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Friday, Aug. 28: 8 a.m.–1 p.m.
The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot passed Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 5 p.m. Voters who missed that window can still cast a ballot in person during early voting or on Election Day, Tuesday, Sept. 1, when polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Unenrolled voters may pull either party's ballot without changing their registration.
Norfolk DA race also on the ballot
The Norfolk County District Attorney primary carries high stakes of its own. Seven Democrats are running to succeed District Attorney Michael Morrissey, who is not seeking re-election after 16 years in office: Jim Barakat, Greg Connor, Adam Deitch, Robert Jubinville, Macy Lee, Craig MacLellan and Djuna Perkins, according to MassLive. No Republican filed for that race either.
Unlike the State Rep contest, the DA race will continue past the primary. Independent candidate Joseph Pagliarulo, a Millis attorney and former state prosecutor, will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot against the Democratic winner, Brookline.News reported.
Canton Community TV noted on Aug. 12 that the primaries are "of particular importance to Canton" because no Republicans are running for either seat, meaning "whoever wins in the sleepy primary will likely win in November."
Canton Community TV has hosted candidate forums and published voter guides at CantonCommunityTV.org.
Town Hall is wheelchair accessible. The Salah meeting room on the second floor will serve as the central tabulation center on Election Day.
