How Southborough Voted (Updated)

Despite all the reporting on the whether or not there would be a red wave across the country, no one expected that to hit Massachusetts. Some Southborough voters did hope having a resident on the ballot for a Republican seat might make a difference. It didn’t.

Residents helped Westborough’s Kate Donahue (D) beat Southborough’s Jonathan Hostage (R) to be the State Representative for our new 19th Worcester District.

Under redistricting, the election also triggered a change in Southborough’s representation in U.S. Congress. As of this election, our representation shifts from Katherine Clark (D) to Jim McGovern (D) — both of whom won their reelections.

Our voter participation of 63.8% was lower than the 69.4% participation in 2018, but slightly higher than the prior two mid-terms. It’s still a far cry from the turnout in Presidential election years.*

Southborough’s preferred candidates lined up with the overall results, though the amount of support compared to the state varied. The only Republican who won the town’s vote (by a slim margin), also won the district vote. Lewis Evangelidis won his reelection for Worcester County Sheriff.

There’s one Ballot question where our town voted more conservatively than the results reported across the state.

Below are details of Southborough’s results compared to the overall state election. 

Candidates for Office

Results in parentheses are the state results as of this morning’s reporting. (Not all precincts in the state are completely in, but Southborough’s are.)

• Governor and Lt Governor
  • Maura Healey and Kimberly Driscoll, Democratic – 64.1% (63.2%)
  • Geoff Diehl and Leah V. Allen, Republican – 33.1% (35.2%)
  • Kevin Reed and Peter Everett, Libertarian – 1.7% (1.6%)
• Attorney General 
  • Andrea Joy Campbell, Democratic – 61.3% (62.3%)
  • James R. McMahon, III, Republican – 35.8% (37.7%)
• Secretary of State 
  • William Francis Galvin, Democratic – Incumbent – 68.1% (67.3%)
  • Rayla Campbell, Republican – 28.0% (29.8%)
  • Juan Sanchez, Green-Rainbow 1.6% (2.9%)
• Treasurer 
  • Deborah B. Goldberg, Democratic – 68.8% (76.5%)
  • Cristina Crawford, Libertarian – 21.4% (23.5%)
• Auditor   
  • Diana DiZoglio, Democratic – 50.5% (54.7%)
  • Anthony Amore, Republican – 39.3% (38.2%)
  • Gloria Caballero-Roca, Green-Rainbow – 1.8% (2.9%)
  • Dominic Giannone, III, Workers Party – 1.2% (2.2%)
  • Daniel Riek, Libertarian – 2.2% (2.1%)
• Representative in Congress – 2nd District
  • James P. McGovern, Democratic – Incumbent – 65.0% (65.8%)
  • Jeffrey A. Sossa-Paquette, Republican – 31.8% (34.2%)
• Governor’s Councillor – Third District 
  • Marilyn M. Pettito Devaney, Democratic, Incumbent (and uncontested) – 70.7% (Not reported)
• Senator in General Court – Middlesex & Worcester District 
  • James B. Eldridge, Democratic – Incumbent – 62.0% (69.7%)
  • Anthony Christakis, Republican – 34.0% (30.3%)
• Representative in General Court – 19th Worcester District 
  • Kate Donaghue, Democratic – 59.3% (67.7%)
  • Jonathan I. Hostage, Republican (Southborough resident) – 37.8% (32.3%)
• District Attorney – Middle District  
  • Joseph D. Early, Jr., Democratic, Incumbent (and uncontested) – 72.8% (Not reported)
• Sheriff – Worcester County 
  • Lewis G. Evangelidis, Republican, Incumbent – 47.2% (59.4%)
  • David M. Fontaine, Democratic – 47.0% (40.6%)

Ballot Questions

The Links below for each question take you to the State’s page with more details on the question, plus the arguments for and against.

QUESTION 1: Proposed Amendment to the Constitution 
Additional Tax on Income Over One Million Dollars 

The state voted Yes 51.9% to 48% (to impose a 4% tax on the portion of incomes over $1M.)

Southborough voted No 55.2% to 43.5%. I assume the number of residents who perceived the tax could impact them (even if just one time) helped boost the No votes in our town.

QUESTION 2: Law Proposed by Initiative Petition 
Regulation of Dental Insurance 

Southborough voted along with the overall state to require dental insurance companies spend at least 83% of premiums on member dental expenses and quality improvements.

Southborough voted Yes 71.3% to 26.8%. (The state voted 71.3% to 28.7%.)

QUESTION 3: Law Proposed by Initiative Petition 
Expanded Availability of Licenses for the Sale of Alcoholic Beverages 

The state voted No (55% to 45%) for a change to laws that included allowing a limited increased the number of liquor store licenses for chain retailers (like supermarkets).

Southborough was also against the change 51.25% to 45.9%.

Question 4: Eligibility for Driver’s Licenses 

Because this petition was submitted after the July 2022 deadline for inclusion in the printed Information for Voters booklet that is mailed to each household, this question is not listed in that voter guide.

Southborough voters said Yes (55.2% to 43.1%) to keeping the recently passed law to allow undocumented immigrants to legally obtain Mass drivers licenses. The state vote was similar (53.7% to 46.3%)

Question 5: Legislative Transparency 

In Southborough, residents voted Yes (74.1% to 11.7%) to tell our new Representative that we want her to support a rule change requiring that representatives publicly report the votes they cast in Committees.

Other than some uncontested candidates, this one had the highest non-participation. 14.2% of voters left it blank. (I’m guessing that many didn’t even realized the question would be on the ballot.)

This was a non-binding question that was only on the ballot for 20 state house districts. I can’t find overall results.

*Southborough voter participation (by % of registered voters) reported since the blog was launched: 2022 – 63.8%; 2020 – 84.2%; 2018 – 69.24%; 2016 – 82.4%; 2013 – 8.81% (special election for US Congressional Rep); 2014 – 60%; 2012 – 82+%; 2010 – 60%; 2008 – 85%

Updated (11/9/22 2:45 pm): When I initially wrote the post, most of the ballot measures were still too close to officially call. I added in the final results for the 4 statewide questions. (They all came in as I had initially noted they were leaning.)