May 7, 2020
NEWBURYPORT — Amber Hewett, a local resident seeking to unseat state Rep. James Kelcourse, R-Amesbury, this fall, has secured enough signatures to be on the ballot, her campaign announced.
The Democratic candidate collected more than 170 signatures and recently submitted them to the Secretary of State’s Office. Hewett first announced her candidacy in November.
“My volunteer team did an amazing job helping our campaign achieve this goal and I extend deep gratitude to the voters who signed and showed their support across the district,” she said in a statement.
The Hewett campaign, and other candidates for state office, was only required to submit 75 valid signatures, following the state Supreme Judicial Court’s decision in April to cut in half the required number due to challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic. Hewett’s 170-plus signatures surpasses the original requirement of 150.