by Katabella Roberts

Democrat Kristin Kassner, a first-time candidate, is now leading her Republican opponent Lenny Mirra in the race for the newly redrawn North Shore district, a coastal region between Boston and New Hampshire.

Prior to the recount, Mirra, a five-term Republican, had led Kassner by 10 votes out of the 24,155 votes that were cast across the district, according to the original certified results from Election Day.

However, the 10-vote margin is within the legal threshold that allows for a recount, and Kassner later submitted a petition asking for a district-wide recount of the Nov. 8 election.

Secretary of State Bill Galvin agreed to the hand recount, which was ordered on Nov. 30, as well as another in the First Middlesex District race.

After officials recounted the votes on Dec. 8, the results flipped to put Kassner up 11,763 votes to Mirra's 11,762.

Kassner picked up a total of 19 additional votes, including 10 in Ipswich, four in Rowley, three in Topsfield, one vote in Newbury, and one vote in Georgetown, according to data provided by Galvin's office (pdf). Mirra, meanwhile, added five votes in Ipswich, three in Topsfield, and one in Newbury.

The Republican candidate also lost a single vote in Rowley, according to the data.