Blue sweep: Democrats win Cape and Islands District Attorney and Barnstable sheriff races
Buckley wins Barnstable County Sheriff's race
Democrat Donna Buckley will be the next Barnstable County Sheriff after her opponent, Republican Rep. Tim Whelan of Brewster, conceded late on Tuesday night, ending the long-time Republican hold on the office.
With 12 towns reporting as of 12:30 a.m., Buckley captured 53,922 votes to Whelan's 53,089.
"I just want to thank everyone who worked on the campaign, who went out and talked about issues with the voters," Buckley said to supporters on Tuesday at the Cape Codder Family Resort in Hyannis. "We will be setting a new direction for the next six years."
Whelan said he conceded the race to Buckley and congratulated her on a hard-fought campaign.
He came to the campaign with experience in law enforcement and policy, serving as the 1st Barnstable District state representative since 2015. He did not seek reelection for the representative seat, instead throwing his hat in the ring for sheriff.
Buckley, a Falmouth attorney, served as general counsel to the sheriff's department for several years.
Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro, who was in attendance at the Cape Codder Family Resort on Tuesday, described Buckley's win as "seismic."
She will replace Barnstable County Sheriff James Cummings who did not run for reelection. He held the position for 24 years,
Galibois wins Cape and Islands District Attorney race
After almost a year of battling for the Cape and Islands District Attorney seat, Democrat Robert Galibois emerged victorious, beating out opposing candidate Republican Daniel Higgins.
Unofficial results show that Galibois received 51,289 votes. Higgins received 45,232 votes.
Galibois, of Barnstable, is a former defense attorney, and will take over as district attorney from Michael O’Keefe, who has been the Cape and Islands district attorney since 2001.
On Tuesday night at the Cape Codder Resort & Spa in Hyannis, Galibois told supporters, "I feel so grateful to everyone in the room right now. As everyone here knows it’s been one administration for the last 40 years or so, so there’s a change with the times, and we are very excited."
"I’m proud of the camp we ran, we ran a straightforward camp that talked about what a DA does and the issues that are important to Cape voters," Higgins said at Colombo's restaurant in Hyannis on Tuesday evening. "My concern is first and foremost for my supporters who came out big for me, and obviously I want them to be well. Without them I wouldn’t have dipped my toes into this."
Higgins, of West Barnstable, has served as an assistant district attorney for the Cape and Islands District Attorney's Office since 2009.
Galibois was also assistant district attorney from 1997 to 2003, serving under then-Cape and Islands District Attorney Philip Rollins. Shortly after O'Keefe's election in 2002, Galibois began practicing as a criminal defense attorney in 2003, subsequently opening a private practice in 2008.
In his speech, Galibois reiterated his campaign promise to appoint the first female first district attorney in the district's history, whom he announced to supporters on Tuesday evening-- Jessica Elumba.
"Everyone in this room, again, put me behind this podium that has to be recognized that I am forever grateful for. We won," he said.
Christopher Flanagan wins Barnstable first district representative race
The new representative for Barnstable’s first district will be Democrat Chris Flanagan, who defeated Republican Tracy Post and Independent Abe Kasparian Jr. with 11,984 votes compared to Post's 10,161 and Kasparian's 429, according to unofficial results.
Tim Whelan, R-Brewster, has served as the district's representative since 2015, but stepped away from the seat to run for Barnstable County Sheriff.
Post conceded late Tuesday evening at Tugboats Seafood Restaurant in Hyannis.
Despite all three towns reporting their unofficial results, Kasparian said he is not conceding the race just yet.
"We're going ride it out and see where it goes," he said by phone on Tuesday. "I'm going to be waiting for the official results."
“We ran a really great campaign, I have no regrets, I love this place, I love the Cape, I love the town, I'm going to continue to stay involved and do everything I can to make where we live a better place,” said Post, recounting her speech to a Times reporter.
Post said she would take some time off before figuring out what she wants to do next. As for a lawsuit she filed regarding mail-in ballots in Dennis, where ballots incorrectly labeled Christopher Flanagan as the incumbent for the 1st Barnstable District, Post said that she didn’t plan to move forward with another lawsuit after an Appeals Court judge upheld a Superior Court ruling denying the injunction she sought.
Flanagan said he is excited for the work ahead, and acknowledged the strong races his opponents ran, commending Post and Kasparian on their commitment to digging into issues important to district residents.
"I am really grateful for the opportunity to serve the 1st Barnstable District," he said on Tuesday night. "I'm excited to work on issues important to the district like housing, education and coastal resilience. There's a lot of work to do, but I'm excited for it."
Incumbent Kip Diggs wins 2nd Barnstable district state representative race
Unofficial results from town clerks in Barnstable and Yarmouth places incumbent Rep. Kip Diggs, D-Barnstable, as the winner of the 2nd Barnstable district state representative race.
Diggs received 11,515 votes to his Republican opponent William Peters' 7,059.
"I thank William Peters for bringing out the best in me," Diggs said by phone Tuesday night. "We had a good fight, and it's not about me, it's about we. That's what I've been saying this whole time. I'm going to keep working for the district."
The 2nd Barnstable District includes Precincts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 13 in Barnstable and Precincts 5 and 6 in Yarmouth.
Diggs, 56, has represented the district since 2020. He is a former construction inspector for the Department of Public Works in Barnstable County.
Peters, 51, is president of Equip & Consult LLC, a biotech consulting firm. He is a member of Presbyterian Church of Cape Cod, and active on mission trips throughout the U.S.
"It's always disappointing to lose, but I had many people come alongside me and I'm grateful for that," Peters said on Tuesday. "The people have spoken, and I pray Representative Diggs remembers the several thousand people in the district who voted against the Democrat agenda."
Keating credits strong showing to positions on issues
Shortly before 11 p.m. at the Cape Codder Resort & Spa in Hyannis, U.S. Rep. Bill Keating had not yet declared victory, but he credited his strong showing to hitting issues like prescription drugs, climate change, and abortion.
“We took hold the message…it’s an approach that maybe will be one that can serve as an example nationally,” said Bill Keating.
With the Republicans favored to retake control of Congress, Keating said he has experience working in the minority.
“I've been there before…I've been very effective in putting amendments to the legislation through as part of other bills that are moving through so I've been able to do it in the past and hopefully be able to continue,” said Keating.
Early results indicate close races for district attorney, sheriff
Unofficial election results from some of the more populous towns on Cape Cod, indicate a close race for for the Cape and Islands district attorney seat and for Barnstable County sheriff.
District Attorney hopeful Democrat Robert Galibois won in Falmouth with 9,748 votes to Republican opponent Dan Higgins' 6,931.
Higgins cinched Sandwich, however, with 5,300 votes to Galibois' 4,979.
Higgins squeaked by in Barnstable, receiving 10,968 votes to Galibois' 10,263.
In the sheriff's race, Falmouth native and attorney Democrat Donna Buckley won the town handily with 9,795 votes to Republican challenger Rep. Tim Whelan, R-Brewster, 7,158.
Whelan won Sandwich, however, beating Buckley with 5,481 votes to Buckley's 4,825.
Whelan triumphed in Barnstable with 11,403 votes to Buckley's 9,906.
In the DA's race Galibois claimed the victory against Higgins in Yarmouth, Dennis and Brewster, but at a slim margin for each.
In Yarmouth, Galibois received 5,980 votes and Higgins garnered 5,609. In Dennis, Galibois received 3,954 votes to Higgins' 3,843. In Brewster, Galibois bested Higgins with 3,569 votes to his opponent's 2,246.
As of 10:45 p.m. with seven towns reporting, Galibois leads the DA's race with 42,830 votes to Higgins' 39,323.
In the sheriff's race Whelan bested Buckley in Yarmouth and Dennis, but Buckley won Brewster, the state representative's home town.
In Yarmouth, Whelan received 6,254 votes to Buckley's 5,427. In Dennis, Whelan gathered 4,481 votes to Buckley's 3,376. In Brewster, Buckley claimed victory with 3,027 votes to Whelan's 2,869.
Healey wins governor's race
According to the Associated Press, Democrat Maura Healey has won the Mass. governor's race.
Her win is shared with her running mate Democrat Kim Driscoll. The pair beat out Trump-backed Republican Geoff Diehl, who was running with Leah Allen, and Libertarian Kevin Reed, who was running with Peter Everett.
Voter turnout continues in Cape towns
Shortly after 3 p.m., Dennis Town Clerk Theresa Bunce reported that voter turnout had reached 49.21%. Average turnout for the previous five state elections has been 67%, according to Bunce.
By 2:15 p.m. in Sandwich, a little more than 3,000 votes had been cast at the polls. That’s on top of the roughly 5,000 votes that Sandwich residents cast early, in-person or by mail.
Sandwich Town Clerk Taylor White predicted that just shy 60% of Sandwich’s registered voters would cast ballots in this year’s election, about normal for a midterm, he said.
Things were running smoothly at the polls, Taylor said, with elections workers reporting a steady stream of voters throughout the day who were “in and out quickly.”
Voters at Barnstable's first precinct talk candidates, Election Day concerns
About 530 voters had cast their ballots at Zion Union Church for Barnstable’s Precinct 1 as of around noon, according to poll workers. One voter, Heather Roberts, felt outnumbered.
“I’m a Republican conservative, I’m in the wrong state,” she said. She hopes this election will be a “red wave,” as she said the current administration is the worst she’s ever seen in her lifetime.
For Jan, who preferred not to share her last name, today’s election made her feel uneasy. One of the things that concerned her was how elections would be affected in swing states, like Wisconsin. She said it’s possible elections would end up being controlled by the legislature in such states.
David Yuskaitis, an Independent, found himself voting mostly Republican this time around. One of the things on the ballot he felt most strongly about was Question 1, also known as the “million dollar tax.” He strongly disagreed with this proposition, since the Constitution shouldn’t be changed to adjust a tax rate, he said.
People on both sides of the ballot had candidates they were excited about. For Jan, Maura Healey was the right choice.
“I think she (Healey) will do great work for the Commonwealth,” she said, citing Healey’s work as assistant attorney general.
For Yuskaitis, Timothy Whelan was the way to go. However, his favorite candidate was not on his precinct’s ballot.
“I wish I could’ve voted for Steve Xiarhos, but he’s not in my district,” said Yuskaitis.
More:Massachusetts 2022 Midterm Election Live: Voters to decide questions 1-4, governor's race
Mashpee voters contend with Election Day concerns
The Quashnet School parking lot was packed Tuesday morning as voters competed for parking spaces. By 10 a.m., over 1,000 voters had cast their ballots, according to the town clerk’s office.
For Charles Tuit, this election feels dangerous.
“People are angry and upset, they see the fraud,” said Tuit. However, he said he does have faith in a couple of the candidates, like Maura Healey and Timothy Whelan.
“They seem to be stand-up people, you can judge a person, you look into their eyes and get a good feeling about them,” said Tuit.
Ann Comiskey is worried about the direction the country is going in, too.
“I’m concerned if it goes a certain way we’re going to be stuck in a partisan fight, both in the House of Representatives, and we’ll get nowhere in making progress in this country,” Comiskey said.
For other voters, the key issues were more immediate. Chris Gaboury said that with his growing family, dental insurance was the biggest issue on the ballot.
“I would just like to see insurance do what it’s supposed to do, is cover the cost of medical expenses,” he said.
3 races to watch: Sheriff, District Attorney, MA 9th Congressional
Big changes could be coming down the pike today in three key elections for the Cape and Islands — Barnstable County Sheriff, Cape and Islands District Attorney and U.S. Representative for Massachusetts 9th Congressional.
Republican Timothy Whelan and Democrat Donna Buckley are vying for the Barnstable County Sheriff seat as current Sheriff James Cummings announced last year he would be ending his 23 year-tenure as sheriff.
Buckley is a Falmouth attorney and served as general counsel to the sheriff’s department.
Whelan is currently the state representative for the 1st Barnstable District which spans precincts in Dennis, Brewster and Yarmouth.
All eyes have been on the sheriff’s department lately as three recent inmate deaths raise concerns over the management of the Barnstable County Correctional Facility.
Learn more about the two candidates here:
More:Barnstable County Sheriff's race: Buckley and Whelan face off in November general election
More:Barnstable County Sheriff candidates on inmate safety, ICE agreement, and other issues
Massachusetts 9th Congressional race between incumbent Democrat Bill Keating and Republican challenger Jesse Brown is emerging as a race to watch this Election Day.
The district encompasses the Cape and Islands, South Coast and South Shore, extending from Norwell to Nantucket, and Provincetown to Fall River.
Keating, a Bourne native, has served as the representative for the district since 2013.
Plymouth resident Brown is the co-founder of Heidrea Communications, and ran for the Plymouth and Barnstable state senate seat in 2020.
Learn more about the candidates and their campaigns here:
More:Race to represent the Cape & Islands in Congress: What to know about the candidates
More:Brown faces Keating in congressional race this November: What to expect
The Cape and Islands District Attorney’s office is in for a major shift as District Attorney Michael O’Keefe announced last year he would not be seeking reelection, ending his 20-year tenure.
Two are now vying for the seat: Republican and Assistant District Attorney Daniel Higgins and Democrat, criminal defense attorney and former assistant district attorney Robert Galibois.
Higgins, a West Barnstable resident, has served as an assistant district attorney in the Cape and Islands office for 13 years.
Galibois, a fellow Barnstable resident, was also an assistant district attorney in the Cape and Islands office for six years before transitioning to private practice as a criminal defense attorney.
Learn more about the candidates here:
More:What will be focus for Galibois, Higgins, in race for Cape and Islands district attorney?
More:Here's what the Cape & Islands District Attorney candidates want to do. Hear from them
More:DA candidates for Cape & Islands meet at forum. Here's where they stand on the issues
Falmouth voters take to the polls on Election Day morning
FALMOUTH — Just 90 minutes after polls opened at Falmouth Town Hall over 180 voters had already cast their ballots, according to poll workers. Precinct 1 voters headed to the basement of Town Hall, and filled out ballots side by side.
Marcia Leonard was still cold from being outside to watch the lunar eclipse Tuesday morning.
“I’m feeling very positive because I think that the vote is going to be good. I think there are going to be a lot of people out voting, and I think that’s healthy,” Leonard said.
This election is extremely critical because the country is so divided at the moment, Louise Mitchell said.
“I hope that the public understands how important this election is for our democracy,” Mitchell, 78, said. She has voted in every election since the age of 22.
For William Kerfoot, misinformation has been the most concerning thing to worry about in recent years. He said that there has been an increase of advertising for elections, as well as misinformation within those advertisements.
The biggest issue on the ballot for Kerfoot was Question 1.
The proposed constitutional amendment would establish an additional 4% state income tax on that portion of annual taxable income in excess of $1 million.
Kerfoot felt that the tax was risky because people who want to sell their property may be forced to pay higher taxes.
Election Day off to steady start in Bourne
A little before 9:30 a.m., Bourne Town Clerk Barry Johnson was out visiting the town's polling places, according to an office worker.
By 8 a.m., 373 votes had been cast in Bourne.
Later in the morning, Johnson said that the polls were busier on Tuesday than in a typical non-presidential election year, with lines forming at some polling places earlier in the day. By 10 a.m., he said, 1,453 votes had been cast in Bourne.
While the rush had died down by around 11:30 a.m., Johnson anticipated more voters would show up during the lunch hour.
Election Day kicks off for the Cape and Islands
Voters across the Cape and Islands region will take to the polls today to weigh in on seats statewide and local. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voters will make decisions on: Governor and lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, representative in Congress, councilor, senator in general court, representative in general court, district attorney, sheriff, county commissioner and assembly delegates for Barnstable counties.
There are also four statewide ballot questions.
Check back here for live updates all day, and make sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @capecodtimes
More:State election is coming up. Everything you need about voting this fall
More:Candidate profiles, issues and voter information
What can you expect from today’s ballot questions?
If you’re not sure where to start with today’s statewide ballot questions, get up-to-date here on Questions 1 through 4:
More:Here's who is spending money to pass, and defeat, the Massachusetts ballot questions
More:Some say Question 1 will provide needed school funding; others fear impact on business
More:Question 2 proposes changes for dental insurance: What you should know
More:Question 3: Increased liquor licenses. What you should know
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: MA Election 2022 Live: Cape Cod candidates, ballot questions, updates
