Incumbent's win in Cambridge primary confirmed after recount

The challenge from Evan MacKay marks Decker’s most competitive election so far. She has never faced a Republican opponent, and her last primary challenge was in 2018.

Rep. Marjorie Decker thanks her team as Cambridge election officials finish the recount of the votes in the Mass. House primary between the incumbent Decker and challenger Evan MacKay (not pictured) at the Russell Youth Center. (Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff)

Representative Marjorie Decker of Cambridge will keep her seat after a recount requested by her primary challenger confirmed the incumbent’s narrow victory on Thursday.

The Cambridge Election Commission certified the results around 6 p.m. with Decker having 3,471 votes and Evan MacKay with 2,430, GBH News reported. The results were one vote off from unofficial results released last week.

Decker won’t have a Republican challenger in November, so the recount all but ensures she stays in the state legislature for a seventh term. The challenge from MacKay marks Decker’s most competitive election so far. Since she joined the legislature in 2012, she has never faced a Republican opponent, and her last primary challenge was in 2018, The Boston Globe reported.

MacKay, a progressive Harvard University graduate student and organizer, initially declared victory the night of the Democratic primary for the 25th Middlesex District last week. At first, Cambridge Election Commission shared unofficial results Tuesday that indicated MacKay won with 3,354 votes to Decker’s 3,314.

The commission then met to review provisional ballots and hand-count about 250 other ballots. Their new results then put Decker slightly on top with 3,472 votes to MacKay’s 3,431.

MacKay then filed a petition for a recount, which was completed on Thursday and confirmed Decker’s win.

In a statement to Boston.com, MacKay conceded the race and thanked the election workers and volunteers.

“The work we were able to accomplish together has been incredible,” they said. “I’m deeply moved by the ways that our community came together to advocate for issues that matter including housing, transportation, and climate justice.”

Decker did not reply to a request for comment, but GBH said the incumbent thanked supporters at the recount.

““I just want to say to all of you how grateful I am for your confidence in me, in your confidence in the work that we do together,” she said, according to GBH. “I’m excited to continue serving our community. I cannot wait to get back to working on the issues that we care about.”