By Erin Tiernan — Erin@concordbridge.org
Concord went overwhelmingly blue in Tuesday’s election, with Democrats winning down the ticket, but divisions surfaced over the five statewide ballot questions.
In unofficial results, about 80 percent of Concord voters supported Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, while Republican former president Donald Trump won 16 percent.
Harris’ definitive local lead was 18 points higher here than in Massachusetts as a whole, where she carried 62 percent of the vote, unofficial Associated Press results showed.
The trend continued in contested candidate races — of which there were few.
Longtime state Rep. Carmine Gentile (D-Sudbury) captured 70 percent of Concord votes in defeating Republican Virginia Gardner of Wayland. Unofficial results from other towns in the 13th Middlesex House District showed similar margins in Gentile’s favor, leading Gardner to concede the race Wednesday morning.
Incumbent state Sen. Michael Barrett (Third Middlesex) and state Rep. Simon Cataldo (D-Concord), both Democrats, faced no GOP opposition.
Middlesex South Register of Deeds Maria Curtatone, a Democrat, handily defeated independent Somerville challenger William “Billy” Tauro. In Concord, she won 67 percent of the vote.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren captured about 74 percent of votes cast in Concord, decisively beating GOP newcomer John Deaton. Statewide, the margin was thinner, with Warren winning about 60 percent of votes, AP tallies showed as of Wednesday evening.
Ballot question divides
But Concordians had contrasting choices on ballot questions — including splitting with fellow Bay Staters over requiring high school students to pass a comprehensive statewide assessment, MCAS, to graduate.
Massachusetts voters opted to ditch the requirement, with 59 percent voting “yes” on Question 2.
A slim majority of Concord voters — 51 percent — wanted to keep the mandate in place, with 46 percent in favor of ending it.
It was the only instance where Concord results split with the Massachusetts electorate on a ballot question.
Question 5, which asked if voters favored raising the $6.75 hourly minimum wage for tipped workers to eventually equal the standard state minimum wage of $15, split Concordians most evenly.
In unofficial results, just over half of Concord voters supported leaving the system as-is, while 45 percent backed raising the wage.
The measure failed statewide, with 64 percent of Bay Staters voting “no.”
No to psychedelics; yes to driver unionization
Concord voters’ opposition to legalizing certain psychedelic substances dovetailed with statewide tallies, with 57 percent of the electorate casting “no” votes on Question 4, unofficial state and local results showed.
Question 3 — allowing drivers on apps like Uber and Lyft to unionize and collectively bargain on wages, benefits, and working conditions — passed with the support of about 54 percent of voters statewide.
In Concord, 53 percent voted “yes.”
And a measure that would permit the state auditor to audit the Legislature earned a resounding “yes” from 72 percent of voters statewide. The numbers were slightly lower in Concord, at 66 percent support.
Turnout was strong, with 85 percent of Concord’s 14,061 registered voters casting ballots by the close of polls.
Photo: Dakota Antelman/The Concord Bridge
Race results are unofficial until certified by town clerks and state authorities. That can take up to 15 days after the election. With mail-in, absentee and overseas ballot deadlines to arrive by mail still looming, tallies are expected to update.
Concord’s unofficial election results were posted as national and statewide tallies were still trickling late Tuesday night.
Wednesday, 6:41 p.m.: This story has been updated.
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