Election results: Straus and Swift to face off in fall

Sep 7, 2022

Winners have been called for the 2022 Massachusetts primary elections, and voters will have the choice between Democratic incumbent Rep. William Straus and Republican Jeffrey Swift for 10th Bristol Representative in the fall.

On the Democratic ballot, Straus won the nomination for 10th Bristol Representative with 4,427 votes, beating out Richard Trapilo who had 1,180 votes. 

Fifty-five percent of Straus’ votes came from the Tri-town, with 2,335 of his votes coming from Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester.

On the Republican ballot, Swift came in first with 1,608 votes. Following behind was Robert McConnell with 1,392 votes.

On Tuesday, Nov. 8, Straus and Swift will face off in the general election. 

For County Commissioner, Alex Bezanson won the Democratic nomination and will face Republican incumbent Sandra Wright in November. 

On the state level, unofficial winners of the Democratic Primary include Maura Healey for Governor, Kimberley Driscoll for Lieutenant Governor, Andrea Campbell for Attorney General, and William Galvin for Secretary of State.

Winners of the Republican primary include Geoff Diehl for Governor. Candidates for Lieutenant Governor and for 9th District Representative are too close to call at the time of this article’s publication.

In Rochester 1,236 of the town’s roughly 4,000 registered voters cast their ballots in the primary, said Town Clerk Paul Dawson. In Mattapoisett, 1,857 of the town’s 5,500 registered voters cast their ballots. In Marion 1,266 of the town’s 4,409 registered voters showed up to the polls. Voting results are still considered unofficial at this time. 

Marion Town Clerk Lissa Magauran said that turnout was “steady all day.”

“I don’t think people realize how important primaries are,” she added. “Down ballot races are becoming more important every year,” she said, referring to races that are decided further down from the top spot on the ballot. 

In Mattapoisett, Town Clerk Catherine Heuberger said “things have been brisk.” She added that her polling place was especially busy for a primary, something she attributed to the gubernatorial race. 

Meanwhile, in Rochester, Carolyn Gray, who works as an assistant in the Rochester Town Clerk’s office, said that there has been a steady flow of voters since the polls opened. 

Susan and David Whitney stood outside the polling station at the Rochester Council on Aging and were quick to say they voted. 

“We waited until it turned into a drizzle,” said Susan Whitney. “It’s Rochester, we can handle the rain.”