Wondolowski Leads Race for 1st Franklin Seat
Democrat Lora Wondolowski holds a commanding lead over Republican Amy Lavallee in the 1st Franklin District state representative race, with 82 percent of votes counted.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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Lora Wondolowski had 13,076 votes to Amy Lavallee's 4,480 with 82 percent counted, a lead of 8,596 votes as of 12:45 a.m. The Associated Press called the race at 12:46 a.m., and Wondolowski won 13 of 14 reporting communities in the district.
Why it matters
The 1st Franklin District has had no state representative since January, when former Rep. Natalie Blais resigned to take a position at UMass Amherst. The result fills a seat that has sat vacant in Massachusetts' state legislature for most of the year.
Unofficial returns show Wondolowski with 13,076 votes to Lavallee's 4,480, or 82 percent of the vote counted across the district's 17 communities. The remaining 18 percent of ballots had not been reported when the race was called.
The players
Lora Wondolowski
Wondolowski is a 56-year-old Democrat and Greenfield City Council president who campaigned on climate, affordability, housing, and rural school funding.
Amy Lavallee
Lavallee is a 50-year-old Republican who serves as town clerk in Whately and was the Republican candidate in the race.
The details
Wondolowski, Greenfield City Council president, won 13 of 14 reporting communities, while Lavallee, Whately town clerk, took only Whately with 462 votes, 20 more than Wondolowski there. Wondolowski won the Democratic primary in September with 4,355 votes to Corinne Coryat's 4,260.
Timeline
January 2026: Former Rep. Natalie Blais resigned, leaving the seat vacant.
September 2026: Wondolowski won the Democratic primary over Corinne Coryat.
November 4, 2026: General election results showed Wondolowski leading Lavallee.
Political Context
The race follows Natalie Blais's January resignation, which left the 1st Franklin District without a state representative for most of the year. Lavallee's campaign is the Republican counterpoint in a district that has been represented by Democrats in recent cycles.
Voters in the 1st Franklin District will have a state representative once the seat is filled, restoring the district's voice in the Massachusetts legislature. Residents in the communities Wondolowski and Lavallee contested will see the new representative take office after the vacancy that began in January.
The takeaway
A single vote count can turn on local margins, as Lavallee's narrow Whately win shows against Wondolowski's broader district lead. Readers tracking the district should watch for the final certified tally once remaining ballots are reported.
Further reading
For broader context on how these seats are contested, explore more Massachusetts Elections coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Recorder.
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