Turnout was brisk all day at polling places around the Island as Martha’s Vineyard voters joined Americans across the country by casting ballots in the closely-watched 2022 midterm elections. Polls are open until 8 p.m. tonight.
The Vineyard voted in line with the rest of the commonwealth Tuesday, backing Democratic U.S. Cong. Edward Markey and Republican Gabriel Gomez, a former naval special warfare lieutenant commander, in the state primary to replace Sen. John Kerry, who resigned in January to become secretary of state.
Town clerks reported relatively low turnout, around 19.5 per cent Islandwide, with slightly higher turnout in Chilmark and Tisbury, which also held town elections. The two town elections featured no contested races but several ballot questions related to spending, all of which passed.
Vineyard voters go to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in the 2012 presidential election. And while the big draw is the race for president and large turnouts are expected here as elsewhere, Vineyard voters will also makes choices on a host of other state and local issues, from a close Massachetts Senate race to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission to medical marijuana.
Republican candidate for Congress Christopher Sheldon made a campaign swing through Martha’s Vineyard Saturday, chatting with voters in Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven and Edgartown and making stump speeches along the way.
“It’s not partisan problems, it’s good government issues,” Mr. Sheldon said about what he’s hearing from Vineyard voters. He is challenging incumbent Cong. William Keating in the ninth district congressional race.
Incumbent Cong. William Keating fought off a primary challenger Sept. 6 to secure a spot on the November ballot for ninth district, while a Plymouth businessman was finally named the winner in a narrow GOP contest.
The results of the Democratic primary race for the governor’s council are still up in the air, with a recount underway.
The Secretary of State certified Christopher Sheldon, 34, as the winner of last Thursday’s primary, with Mr. Sheldon defeating Adam Chaprales, 28, of Barnstable, by 79 votes. The final tally was 11,046 to 10,967.
On the morning that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced that Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan will be his running mate, Martha’s Vineyard Democrats focused on a more local political decision as they heard from the two candidates they will choose between in the congressional primary on Sept. 6.
Congressional candidate Elizabeth Warren made a quick swing through Martha’s Vineyard this weekend.
Ms. Warren, a Democrat who is looking to unseat incumbent Sen. Scott Brown, was on the Island from Friday night through Saturday, campaign spokesman Matthew Cournoyer said. She attended the July meeting of the Martha’s Vineyard Democrats Saturday morning in West Tisbury, and then spent some time at the West Tisbury Farmers’ Market. She also attended a few other events and fundraisers during the day, he said.
