With statewide elections fast approaching, the race for the Fifth Bristol District state representative between incumbent Patricia Haddad and returning challenger Justin Thurber is well underway.

The fifth district in Bristol County in Massachusetts includes the communities of Swansea, Somerset, Dighton, and Taunton, where a number of issues are front-of-mind: housing shortages, inflated costs of living, offshore energy concerns at the former Brayton Point energy plant, plus initial effects of incoming migrants. 

Voting will take place in-person on Nov. 5 at five different precincts throughout the district from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mail-in ballots for early voting are not available until Oct. 19. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is Oct. 29. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 26. 

Read more on their positions at heraldnews.com.