PLYMPTON/HALIFAX – Both Plympton and Halifax had extraordinarily high voter turnout in Tuesday’s Midterm election. Unofficial election results show Halifax with 3,691 ballots cast, or 64% of the 5775 registered voters, not counting overseas or provisional ballots, according to Town Clerk Barbara Gaynor. In Plympton, Town Clerk Tara Shaw confirmed that with 1,539 ballots cast, or 68 percent turnout, a record was set for a Midterm election – and it was the second busiest election ever, after the 2012 presidential election.
But the two towns are certainly not bellwethers for the state. As Plympton and Halifax go, the Commonwealth as a whole does not go. Many races in the towns were much closer than at the state level.
In the tightest race of the night, Kathy LaNatra, a Democrat, faced off against Joseph Truschelli, a Republican, for State Representative. In Plympton, unofficial results separated the two by 33 votes, with LaNatra ahead. In Halifax, just 12 votes separated the two, again with LaNatra ahead. Truschelli conceded the race for the expansive 12th Plymouth District, and Kathy LaNatra will be the district’s next State Representative.
“I will always put the needs of the district and my fellow citizens first. I’m really looking forward to serving as your next State Representative!” said LaNatra in a statement to The Express.
Reached via Facebook, Truschelli congratulated LaNatra and her team while thanking his supporters. “I am grateful to my friends, family and supporters who generously offered their time and energy to help spread our campaign message throughout the district.”
Republican Geoff Diehl received 835 votes to Democrat Elizabeth Warren’s 639 votes in Plympton for Massachusetts Senator, while Diehl received 2,071 votes to Warren’s 1,409 in Halifax. Warren handily won against Diehl statewide.
The Governor and Lt. Governor, Charlie Baker and Karyn Polito, popular Republicans even among Democrats, won in both towns as they did statewide.
Democrat Maura Healey beat Republican James McMahon, III in a close race in Plympton, but lost in Halifax. Healey will return as Massachusetts Attorney General.
Both towns voted to send Democrat Secretary of State Bill Galvin back to office.
Democrat Deborah Goldberg narrowly won against Keiko Orrall in the race for Treasurer in Halifax and Plympton. Goldberg will return as Treasurer after being elected statewide.
In another tight race, this time for Auditor, Democrat Suzanne M. Bump squeaked out a win in both towns and won handily at the state-level.
Although the race was about 60 percent to 40 percent on the state level according to Boston Globe results, Bill Keating won in Plympton by less than 50 votes against Peter Tedeschi and lost by about 60 votes in Halifax, according to local results. Keating, a Democrat, will return as Representative in Congress.
Christopher Iannella, a Democrat, ran unopposed and was elected Councilor, 4th District.
Democrat State Senator Michael Brady was re-elected to Beacon Hill against Republican Scott Hall, by less than 100 votes in Plympton, although by a greater margin in Halifax.
Popular Republican District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz won re-election against Democrat John E. Bradley, Jr. by a wide margin in both towns and will return as Plymouth County District Attorney.
Robert Creedon, a Democrat, won re-election as Clerk of Courts. He ran unopposed as did John Buckley, Jr., also a Democrat, as Register of Deeds.
Republican Sandra M. Wright ran unopposed as Plymouth County Commissioner.
On the ballot questions, Halifax and Plympton mirrored the state in their results. Question one was defeated, and although questions two and three won by narrower margins than they did statewide, they both passed.