Trump, Biden winners in Tuesday’s Primary Day

Democrats to meet Saturday to pick delegates

By Neil Zolot

Everett voters abstained from casting ballots in large numbers on Presidential Primary Election Day, Tuesday, March 5. Only 2,864 out of 22,918, or 12.49%, went to the polls. “It was definitely lower than what I expected, but we did expect a low turnout because there weren’t many contested races,” City Clerk Sergio Cornelio said on election night, in reference to forgone conclusions in the presidential races and all ward party committee candidates being elected. The only competitive races were those for state party committees to represent Everett, Chelsea and other communities. Weather also affects turnouts and it was a cold and rainy day.

In the Democratic presidential primary, President Joe Biden got 1,096 voters (69.19%), ahead of 237 No Preference votes, Dean Phillips’ 122 and Marianne Williamson’s 64 and 63 Blanks.

Statewide, Biden received 83% of the votes.

In the Republican presidential primary, former President Donald Trump got 972 votes (80.9%), ahead of former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley’s 198 (16.4%), 10 as No Preference, 5 each for Chris Christie and Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy’s 3, Asa Hutchinson’s 2, 2 Blanks and 1 Ryan Binkley. Christie, DeSantis, Hutchinson, Ramaswamy and now Haley had all previously withdrawn from the race.

Statewide, Trump received 60% of the votes, Haley 36%.

There was also a presidential primary for the Libertarian Party. Half the votes (16) expressed No Preference and 5 were Blank, followed by Jacob Hornberger’s 3, 2 each for Michael Rectenwald, Chase Oliver and Michael Ter Maat and 1 for Lars Mapstead.

Among the Democratic Ward Committee races, in the Ward 1 Democrat Committee race, its City Councillor, Wayne Matewsky, and Councillor-at-Large Stephanie Smith each got 134 votes; its School Committee Member, Margaret Cornelio, 108; Elizabeth McNeil, 100; Marion Antonucci-Matewsky, 96; Michael Hart and Antonio Cornelio, 86 each; Ana Lobo, 83; and Robert Hayes, 73. “I’m happy with the support and happy to support the party,” Smith said.

In Ward 2, its City Councillor, Stephanie Martins, got 172 votes; Michelle Garrity-Goudey, 119; James Henderson, 103; Rebecca Garrity, 99; and John Goudey, 94.

In Ward 3, State Senator Sal DiDomenico got 86 votes; Councillor-at-Large Katy Rogers, 145; City Clerk Sergio Cornelio and Francis Parker, 126 each; Tricia Tankevich DiDomenico and Michael Dantone, 98. “I’m excited to serve the Democratic Party,” Cornelio said.

In Ward 4, Patricia Cheever got 165 votes; Brendan Michael Mangan, 157; Jessica Gold Boots and John Zakrosky, 125 each; and Timothy Boots, 111.

In Ward 5, City Council President Robert Van Campen got 139 votes; Lisa Van Campen, 121; its ward School Committee Member, Marcony Almeida-Barros, 118; former City Councillor Rosa DiFlorio, 111; and City Committee Chair Mark Puleo, 102. “The results were positive for the president and local candidates,” Puleo said.

In Ward 6, Danielle Pietrantonio got 116 votes; its former City Councillor, Alfred Lattanzi, 107; School Committee Member At-Large Samantha Lambert, 92; Thomas Abruzzese, 86; and Mary Puleo, 79. “I’m pleased,” Lattanzi said of the results.

Coming Saturday morning, March 9, Democrats will meet at the Connolly Center on Chelsea Street to pick delegates to the state party convention.

No slates were offered in Republican or Libertarian Ward Committee races. “Massachusetts is a Democratic state and Everett is a Democratic city,” Sergio Cornelio gave as an explanation.

In the Democrat State Committee races, in which one man and one woman are elected, Brian Corr got 1,070 votes, running unopposed for the man’s position. In the woman’s race, Olivia Walsh got 516 votes; Danielle Allen, 433, and Henrietta Davis, 323.

In the Republican State Committeeman race, Chelsea City Councillor Todd Taylor got 535 voters and John Olds, 367. Taylor represents Chelsea’s Prattville area, which is adjacent to Everett.

In the Republican State Committeewoman race, Regina Taylor got 703 votes, running unopposed.

At the polls, precinct wardens reported slow going. “Maybe there isn’t much excitement and the weather may be why,” Ward 3, Precinct 1 Warden Ruthy Dottin said at the Whittier Community Center.

“It’s slow, but we’ve had little spurts,” Ward 4, Precinct 1 Warden Lawrence Arinello reported from the Lafayette School. “The day hasn’t dragged.”

Ward 5, Precinct 3 Warden Philomena Mullen at the Parlin School also said it was slow.

At City Hall, Ward 5, Precinct 2 Warden Linda Shedden felt the response was “not bad considering it’s a primary. We had a lot of mail-in votes, so I didn’t expect a lot of walk-ins. I’m sure we’ll be busier in November. A lot of people wait.”

There was some speculation Democrats, Libertarians and others took Republican ballots to vote for Haley. “Unaffiliated voters may have,” Arinello said.

“It’s anybody’s guess, but I wouldn’t be surprised about that,” Todd Taylor added.

Losing candidates performing above expectations can be considered winners, although usually only in the earliest caucuses or primaries. Did Haley perform above expectations? Not enough to keep her in the race, and she withdrew the day after the primary, setting the stage for a Biden vs. Trump rematch in November. Todd Taylor said it was “too late for moral victories; most Republicans in Mass. support Trump” and that she had to “win outright” to stay in the race.

Haley did win in Vermont, adding to her victory in Washington, D.C., the week before, but those two areas are uncharacteristic of the Republican Party.

The last time a major party candidate was its nominee in three or more consecutive elections was in 1932, 1936, 1940 and 1944 when Franklin Roosevelt was the Democratic nominee and winner four straight times. The last time two candidates met in consecutive general election presidential races was in the 1950s when Republican Dwight Eisenhower defeated Democrat Adlai Stevenson in 1952 and 1956.