No one expected voter turnout to set any records during the Tuesday, Sept. 3 State Primary – and they were not wrong.
“Boring,” was how Hanson Town Clerk Elizabth Sloan described the morning as voters trickled in one or two at a time. There were only 961 total Republican ballots and 868 total Democratic ballots cast in Hanson, or 21 percent of about 8,500 registered voters, during the primary. In Whitman, there were 1,708 Republican ballots and 2,172 Democratic ballots cast, representing about 17 percent of Whitman’s 11,915 registered voters.
Whitman Select Board member Justin Evans, noting that the only contested race in that town’s Democratic ballot was for governor’s council, spent the day, dressed in a “Parks & Recreation”-themed shirt featuring American flags, eagles and the likeness of Leslie Knope the deputy director of the namesake town department in fictional Pawnee, Ind. – offering his services to Democrats in other towns.
“I’m thinking of going to Halifax, next,” Evans said. Earlier, he had dropped off a load of signs for volunteers who showed up to hold in Whitman, at the Democrat’s favored visibility location in front of the Dunkin Donuts store next to Town Hall.
While there were also no challengers to Hanson Democratic state Rep. candidate Becky Colletta, visibility ensured she didn’t get forgotten as Republicans Ken Sweezey an Jane Cournan vied for the Republican nomination in the 6th Plymouth District race to fill the seat vacated by state Rep. Josh Cutler, D-Duxbury, when he took a job with the Healey Administration. Both Republican candidates had sign-holders just outside the no-electioneering zone in front of the polling place at Hanson Middle School, chatting about the nice weather and generally ignoring each other.
Senate finale
There were three candidates vying for the Republican nomination to face-off against incumbent U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, with attorney and Marine veteran John Deaton of Bolton carrying the majority of votes in both towns vs. engineer and political newcomer Robert J. Antonellis of Medford and Ian Cain, Massachusett’s first black and out gay City Council member in Quincy. Deaton, a crypto-currency advocate has pledged to vote for Donald Trump in the presidential race.
Democrats in both communities had a four-way race to choose from for Governor’s Council with attorney Sean Murphy of Brockon besting associate probation officer and legal advocate Tamisha Civil, Air Force veteran and social worker Muriel Kramer and Brockton lawyer David Reservitz. District Court Judge Francis T. Crimmins Jr. was unopposed on Republican ballots.
In a three-way race for two seats as County Commissioner, Gregory M. Hanley and Rhonda L. Nyman easily bested Scott M Vecchi on the Democratic ballot. There were only two candidates on Republican ballots – Jared L. Valanzola and Anthony T. O’Brien Sr.
With a sparse slate of candidates and several offices with no challengers, there were few surprises in the result.
For results, See page 14.
Whitman Democrats
U.S. Senate
Elizabeth A. Warren – 991
Blanks and write-ins – 95
U.S. Rep – Eighth District
Stephn F. Lynch – 1, 017
Blanks and write-ins – 69
Councilor – Second District
Tamisha L. Civil – 282
Muriel E. Kramer – 93
- Sean Murphy – 505
David S. Reservitz – 122
Blanks and write-ins – 84
State Senate – 2nd Plymouth & Norfolk
Michael D. Brady – 984
Blanks and write-ins – 102
State Representative – 7th Plymouth
(No announced candidate on ballot)
Blanks and write-ins – 1,086
Clerk of Courts – Plymouth County
Robert S. Creedon Jr. – 962
Blanks and write-ins – 124
Register of Deeds – Plymouth County
John R. Buckley Jr. – 987
Blanks and write-ins – 99
County Commissioner – Plymouth County
(Vote for two)
- Gregory M. Hanley – 766
- Rhonda L. Nyman – 550
Scott M Vecchi – 249
Blanks and write-ins – 607
Whitman Republicans
U.S. Senate
Robert J. Antonellis –182
Ian Cain – 108
- John Deaton – 546
Blanks and write-ins – 20
U.S. Rep – Eighth District
- Robert G. Burke – 357
James M Govatsos –155
Daniel Kelly – 247
Blanks and write-ins – 95
Councilor – Second District
Francis T. Crimmins – 664
Blanks and write-ins – 190
State Senate – 2nd Plymouth & Norfolk
(No announced candidate on ballot)
Blanks and write-ins – 854
State Representative – 7th Plymouth
Allyson M. Sullivan-Almeida – 725
Blanks and write-ins – 129
Clerk of Courts – Plymouth County
(No announced candidate on ballot)
Blanks and write-ins – 854
Register of Deeds – Plymouth County
(No announced candidate on ballot)
Blanks and write-ins – 854
County Commissioner – Plymouth County
(Vote for two)
Jared L. Valanzola – 367
Anthony T. O’Brien Sr. – 576
Blanks and write-ins – 763
Hanson Democrats
U.S. Senate
Elizabeth A. Warren – 810
Blanks and write-ins – 58
U.S. Rep – Ninth District
Bill Keating – 829
Blanks and write-ins – 39
Councilor – Second District
Tamisha L. Civil – 204
Muriel E. Kramer – 76
- Sean Murphy – 398
David S. Reservitz – 89
Blanks and write-ins – 101
State Senate – 2nd Plymouth & Norfolk
Michael D. Brady – 802
Blanks and write-ins – 66
State Representative – 5th Plymouth
(No announced candidate on ballot)
Blanks and write-ins – 310
State Representative – 6th Plymouth
Rebecca W. Coletta – 520
Blanks and write-ins – 38
Clerk of Courts – Plymouth County
Robert S. Creedon Jr. – 796
Blanks and write-ins – 72
Register of Deeds – Plymouth County
John R. Buckley Jr. – 799
Blanks and write-ins – 69
County Commissioner – Plymouth County
(Vote for two)
*Gregory M. Hanley – 520
- Rhonda L. Nyman – 549
Scott M Vecchi – 202
Blanks and write-ins – 465
Hanson Republicans
U.S. Senate
Robert J. Antonellis – 191
Ian Cain – 113
- John Deaton – 623
Blanks and write-ins – 34
U.S. Rep – Ninth District
Dan Sullivan – 828
Blanks and write-ins – 133
Councilor – Second District
Francis T. Crimmins – 800
Blanks and write-ins – 161
State Senate – 2nd Plymouth & Norfolk
(No announced candidate on ballot)
Blanks and write-ins – 961
State Representative – 5th Plymouth
David F. DeCoste – 252
Blanks and write-ins – 37
State Representative – 6th Plymouth
Jane L. Cournan – 241
- Kenneth P. Sweezey – 424
Blanks and write-ins – 7
Clerk of Courts – Plymouth County
(No announced candidate on ballot)
Blanks and write-ins – 961
Register of Deeds – Plymouth County
(No announced candidate on ballot)
Blanks and write-ins – 961
County Commissioner – Plymouth County
(Vote for two)
Jared L. Valanzola – 541
Anthony T. O’Brien Sr. – 645
Blanks and write-ins – 736
- Denotes winner of contested race