Mary Hurley, candidate for the 8th District Governor’s Council seat, beat her opponent, Jeffrey Morneau, in Democratic primary voting Thursday, Sept. 8.
In Hampshire County, which is part of the district, the former Springfield mayor and retired district court judge also prevailed, besting Morneau, president of the Hampden County Bar Association, by 6,624 votes to 5,159. Both candidates are Longmeadow residents.
Hurley will appear uncontested on the Nov. 8 ballot, as there is no Republican candidate.
The district also includes Berkshire and Franklin counties and some communities in Hampden and Worcester counties. District totals were unavailable at press time. However, the Associated Press reported Hurley’s nomination.
Her win was underscored in Amherst, where she garnered 2,213 votes to Morneau’s 1,126.
In Northampton, however, Morneau was the top vote-getter, with 1,492 to Hurley’s 1,365.
As councilor, the winning candidate will help approve appointments of judges, clerk-magistrates, parole board members and advise the governor on potential prison pardons and commutations. Annual salary for the 2-year post is $36,025.
In her campaign, Hurley highlighted the need to fill several district court judge vacancies across western Massachusetts.