With results in from the three largest towns on Martha’s Vineyard, Sheriff Mike McCormack appears to have beaten off a determined challenge for his job by former state police sergeant Neal Maciel.

Mr. McCormack secured a total of 3,081 votes from electors in Edgartown, Tisbury and Oak Bluffs, 573 more than Mr. Maciel.

In other races, down-Island voters heavily favored Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick over his Republican challenger, Charlie Baker — 3,356 to 2,125.

In the contest for the 10th Congressional District, considered the best chance in the state for the Republicans to pick up a U.S. House of Representatives seat, the Democrats’ William Keating was well ahead on the Island.

Mr. Keating recorded more than twice Mr. Perry’s vote in Tisbury, and about twice his vote in Oak Bluffs. But in Edgartown, generally considered the most Republican of the Island’s towns, Mr. Keating barely led.

Between the three towns, however, Mr. Keating had a lead of 3,420 to 2,105.

Turnout was heavy, particularly for a mid-term election. About two-thirds of registered voters in Tisbury cast a ballot, as did well over 60 per cent in the other two towns.

The three towns collectively voted against two questions seeking to change the sales tax regime, although Edgartown bucked the trend, by a bare majority on Question One, relating to sales tax on alcoholic drinks. All the towns voted solidly against a ballot questions which sought to repeal the section 40 B provision that allows developers of affordable housing to skirt local zoning bylaws.

A fourth, nonbinding ballot question yielded a surprisingly decisive result as well. By a two-to-one margin, down-Island voters favored legislation that would see marijuana legalized and taxed in the same way as alcohol.

Later figures from Aquinnah confirmed the down-Island results. The preference for Democrats was even stronger: Gov. Patrick beat Charlie baker 143 to 50; Bill Keating beat Jeff Perry 157 to 26.

And Sheriff McCormack increased his lead over Mr. Maciel, winning the town 121 to 78.

The Aquinnah results on the ballot questions also were in line with the other towns. The town’s support of marijuana legalization was particularly strong — 145 votes to 59.