Massachusetts Republicans have been taking a prolonged victory lap Wednesday after flipping three seats within the state Legislature, together with by unseating a 12-term Democrat who as soon as served as a high chief within the chamber and claiming a district that lengthy resided with the left.
It was the primary time for the reason that 1984 presidential election that multiple Republican managed to flip an area legislative seat from Democratic management, in line with the Massachusetts Republican Occasion, which proclaimed that “the days of ‘business as usual’ are over.”
MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale stated it’s “pretty rare” for the Massachusetts Republican Occasion to make good points in a presidential election yr.
“I think it really speaks to the messages that the Republican candidates were talking about,” she instructed the Herald after the polls closed Tuesday. “Many of those messages are similar to the messages that we’re seeing at the federal level — immigration, lack of transparency on Beacon Hill and lack of accountability, and really the budget crunch that we’re under as a result of some of the policies.”
However Massachusetts Democratic Occasion Chair Steve Kerrigan stated his get together gained two of the three “top targeted” state Senate seats, together with the contests involving Rep. Dylan Fernandes, a Falmouth Democrat, and Sen. John Cronin, a Fitchburg Democrat.
The MassGOP’s “desperate efforts to conjure up some mythical statewide trend simply does not hold water,” Kerrigan stated in an announcement to the Herald.
“The facts are, Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly re-elected Elizabeth Warren, an entirely Democratic congressional delegation and maintained wide majorities in both houses of the state Legislature,” he stated. “And the Republican nominee for president once again failed badly here. Massachusetts Republicans cannot admit they are not competitive at the federal level or across broad swaths of the state.”
In a small shot throughout the bow to the Democratic super-majority within the Home, Justin Thurber, a Somerset Republican, unseated Rep. Patricia Haddad, a Democrat from the identical city who assumed workplace in 2000 and beforehand served because the speaker professional tempore of the chamber.
Thurber pulled in 12,329 votes, or 52% of all ballots counted, in comparison with Haddad’s 11,371, or 48% of ballots tallied, in line with the Related Press, which stated 100% of precincts within the district had reported their outcomes.
In a close-by Senate district, Taunton Metropolis Councilor Kelly Dooner, a Republican, declared victory over Raynham Selectman Joe Pacheco, a Democrat.
Dooner had 39,450 votes in comparison with 37,476 ballots solid for Pacheco as of 11 a.m. Tuesday, in line with the Related Press. Greater than 85% of precincts within the district had reported their outcomes.
The race was solid by high officers on the MassGOP as one in all their greatest photographs at selecting up a seat within the Senate due to the modifications made to the district in 2021 that shifted the constituency to a brighter shade of purple.
Wendy Wakeman, a Republican strategist in Massachusetts, stated Dooner got here to the race “with credibility in terms of her personal resume, having served as a city councilor.” She can be the primary Republican lady elected to the chamber for the reason that early 2000s.
“She came with political credit because she’s worked with a lot of activists in the state on other things, and then just worked the heck out of the race,” Wakeman instructed the Herald. “Kelly Dooner, in many ways, I mean, she’s the candidate that we want to see in every district.”
Dooner was projected to imagine an workplace that stretches from Seekonk to Marion and was held for 31 years by the retiring Marc Pacheco, a Taunton Democrat of no relation to Joe Pacheco.
And Ken Sweezey, a Republican from Pembroke, bested Rebecca Coletta, a Democrat from the identical city for the Home seat that was vacated by Rep. Josh Cutler, a Democrat who went to work for the Healey administration earlier this yr.
Sweezey secured 14,783 votes in comparison with Coletta’s 12,955 ballots solid in her favor, in line with Related Press tallies final up to date at midday Wednesday.
Sen. Ryan Fattman, a Sutton Republican who helps out in lots of native races, stated the conservative good points within the Legislature expose “the dysfunction of the Democratic Party in Massachusetts and the disillusioned policy agenda that they have.”
“I think they’re really out of touch with certain pockets of Massachusetts. Of course, you’re going to always have your Cambridges and your Bostons and Republicans aren’t going to do well there, but like in places like Taunton and Middleborough and Pembroke there’s a lot of middle-class families and people that are like, ‘what is going on with the Democratic Party?’” he instructed the Herald.
Democrats weren’t with out victories Tuesday night and Republicans did lose key matchups within the Massachusetts Senate.
Rep. Matt Muratore, a Plymouth Republican, conceded to Fernandes, the Falmouth Democrat, in a race for a South Shore and Cape Cod Senate seat that noticed the 2 males collectively spend greater than $511,000 for the reason that begin of the yr, in line with state information.
Wakeman, the Republican strategist, stated a “tough” Republican main between Muratore and Bourne Faculty Committee member Kari MacRae may have performed into Muratore’s defeat.
“A bruising primary is a double-edged sword,” she stated. “On the one hand, it gives you a little more visibility in those summer months when nobody’s really looking at the races. But on the other hand, he kind of wasted resources and wasted time talking to voters who you should naturally just have.”
Sen. Cronin, the Fitchburg Democrat, additionally beat Nick Pirro, a Lunenburg Republican who was arrested thrice over the previous 20 years.
Democrats notched a flipped seat with Michelle Badger, the chair of the Plymouth Faculty Committee who declared victory over Republican Jesse Brown for the Home seat that Muratore was vacating to run for Senate.
Badger earned 14,980 votes in comparison with Brown’s 13,776, in line with Related Press information final up to date simply earlier than midday Wednesday with 100% of precincts reporting their information.
Democrats additionally handily delivered Massachusetts’ 11 Electoral Faculty votes to Vice President Kamala Harris and beat again a Republican try and unseat U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Kerrigan, the chair of MassDems, stated Republicans have been “forced to run” a candidate from Rhode Island, John Deaton, towards Warren. Deaton has to date pulled in roughly 40% of the vote, which outperformed former President Donald Trump in Massachusetts, in line with Related Press tallies.
“We take no elections for granted and have great respect for the faith Massachusetts voters have shown in Democratic leadership and ideas. Massachusetts Democrats will continue to compete in races everywhere and at all levels,” Kerrigan stated.
