Dominican unseats Dominican in ‘bitter’ Lawrence race for mayor

New York.- Dominican City Council member Daniel (Danny) Rivera on Tuesday squeezed a win of just a few dozen votes over his compatriot and incumbent William Lantigua, and will be the new mayor of Lawrence, Mass..

Newspaper Eagle Tribune reported that as of midnight Tuesday Rivera had 7,625 votes against 7,565 cast for Lantigua, a native of Santiago.

Mayor Lantigua, who was seeking his first re-election on the Municipal ticket, will instead have to hand over to the elected newcomer.

The Eagle Tribune reported the result of the race which political activists and voters called so chaotic and bitter, that the police had to shutter the city’s Board of Elections offices amid speculation and rumors.

"City Councilor Daniel Rivera claimed a razor-thin victory against Mayor William Lantigua last night, edging the controversial incumbent by just 60 votes out of 15,190 cast during a day that began with the breakdown of several voting machines and ended with the ballots under police guard," reported Eagle Tribune.