District 1
Democrat John Olver has been re-elected for another term in the Massachusetts First Congressional District.
Olver defeated Republican candidate Bill Gunn of Ware and Michael Engel of Easthampton in Tuesday’s election.

In 1991, Olver was elected into office, succeeding the late U.S. Rep. Silvio Conte, and has represented the First District for 10 consecutive terms.

Stretching from the Berkshires to central Massachusetts, the first district is the largest, geographically-speaking, in the state.

This win for Olver marks two decades of him representing the First District in Congress. Olver, who once taught chemistry at the University of Massachusetts, has lived in Amherst for almost 50 years, has faced stiffer resistance this year on each side of the political spectrum than in recent times he has sought reelection.

In a recent interview with The Massachusetts Daily Collegian, Olver said of his goals if elected, “I’d like to create more jobs with investment in green energy and energy conservation-focused engineering and technology,”

He added, “I would also like to bring our combat troops home from Afghanistan and pass economically advantageous, border-securing, comprehensive reform of our immigration policies.”

Gunn was endorsed by Sen. Scott Brown, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and the Tea Party Express. The GOP backed Gunn stands for reduction of federal spending and sought to repeal the national health care reform law. His campaign benefited greatly from the growing anti-incumbent sentiment across the country this year, but it was not enough to overcome the strong local support for the well-known Olver.

Engel, the owner of Cherry Picked Books in Easthampton, and a former professor of political science at then-Westfield State College (now a university), positioned himself as a progressive independent alternative to Olver.

District 2
Incumbent Springfield Democrat Richard Neal secured his spot for another term, trumping Hopedale Republican Tom Wesley’s efforts to land the Congressional District 2 seat.

Neal, 61, won the election with 59 percent of the vote, with Wesley, 55, taking the other 41 percent. This is the first opponent Neal has faced since 1996, and the Congressman has held his seat since 1988.

Wesley surpassed the expectations of many polling experts such as those who contributed their opinions to The New York Times FiveThirtyEight forecast map, which, as of its updated version on Oct. 31, suggested votes would return with 71.1 percent backing Neal, and Wesley falling with 25.6 percent.

Neal won the following precincts: Agawam, Brookfield, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Hadley, Monson, Northampton, Palmer, Southbridge, South Hadley, Springfield and Warren.

Though Wesley scored greater votes in central Massachusetts towns such as Leicester, Southbridge, Oxford and his hometown Hopedale, the difference in numbers was marginal in comparison to Neal’s Springfield and Northampton numbers. Votes for Neal in Springfield, Neal’s hometown, were 24,423 compared to Wesley’s 6,972, and these greatly contributed to Neal’s win.

After defeating the district’s Tea Party candidate Dr. Jay Fleitman, a Northampton pulmonary physician, in the September primary, Wesley publicly denounced the idea that he was “the underdog” of the race.
Welsey, graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 1977 with a bachelor of science degree in marine transportation, and a recipient of a 1999 master’s degree in management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

He is a retired U.S. Navy pilot, who currently is on leave without pay from his position as director of strategic planning and corporate sustainability at Waters Corp. in Milford, managing green activities and initiatives.”

Neal, 61, is a member of Congress’ Ways and Means Committee and the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures. Neal, former mayor of Springfield, the district’s most populated community, graduated from American International College in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in political science, and in 1976, Neal received a master’s degree in public administration from the Barney School of Business and public administration at the University of Hartford.

District 3
Democrat James McGovern has been re-elected for another term in the Massachusetts Third Congressional District.

McGovern defeated Republican candidate Martin Lamb, and the independently-running candidate Patrick Barron. The incumbent Congressman won 56.3 percent of the vote, with Lamb finishing with 39.4 percent, and Barron received 4.3 percent of the final tally.

The incumbent Democrat has represented the district since 1997, making this McGovern’s eighth term serving as Congressman for the Third District. He is a native of Worcester. The Third district spans from Fall River to Worcester and includes Franklin and Medway.

During his campaign, McGovern touted his record of bringing federal funding and jobs to the district.
Lamb proposed a plan cutting federal spending. The Republican hopeful is from Holliston, and has worked as a real estate attorney in the area.

Barron, of Worcester, said he felt representatives in Washington have lost touch with their votes. He has worked for the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health for 14 years.

District 4
Longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Barney Frank managed to fend off a challenge from Republican Sean Bielat last night, launching him to a 16th term in the House.

With 202 of the 208 precincts reporting, Frank picked up 55 percent of the vote, while Bielat garnered 43 percent. Independent Susan Allen and Tax Revolt Independent Don Jordan, who both struggled to gain attention in the race, each picked up 1 percent from the electorate.

The race had proved to be one of the toughest re-election battles for Frank, 70, with recent polls showing Bielat, 35, trailing only by about 10 percentage points. Bielat had also picked up endorsements from Arizona Sen. John McCain and 2008 vice presidential candidate and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

In an interview with The Massachusetts Daily Collegian last week, Frank, who has served as the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee since 2007, said that one of his primary reasons for running for re-election was to ensure that the eponymous Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, which imposes some of the most sweeping regulatory reforms since the Great Depression, is properly implemented.

Lisa Barstow, the director of communications for Bielat’s campaign, told The Collegian last week that her candidate’s primary reason for running was to help create jobs and to stimulate the economy.

Neither Frank nor Bielat’s campaigns could be reached for comment last night.

District 4 is comprised of towns and cities along the southeastern portion of the state, including Brookline, Taunton and New Bedford.

District 5
Democratic incumbent Niki Tsongas received 111,880 votes with 92 percent of the district reporting at 10:58 p.m. Tsongas was first elected in an Oct. 7 special election when her husband Paul Tsongas died in office.

Her opponent, GOP candidate Jon Golnik received 43 percent of the vote, with third party candidates Dale Brown and Bob Clark receiving 2 and 1 percent of the book receptively.

The fifth congressional district spans from Billerica to Westford.

Jon Golnick is a Republican business owner from Westford, Mass. who ran his campaign in the style of Scott Brown, touting that he was not a career politician.

Tsongas toured in Afghanistan and Iraq to hold workshops with women on the prevention of sexual assaults in the military. Recently, she defended the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Tsongas has developed programs including “Congress on Your Corner,” a series of events hosted by Tsongas in different towns allowing community members to speak to the Congresswoman in person.

District 6
Incumbent Democrat John Tierney has officially taken the win for the Massachusetts District 6 seat.

In the race against Republican Bill Hudak, Tierney was officially declared the winner when he had 58 percent of the votes, compared to Hudak’s 42 percent. Boston.com reported that 79 percent of the total votes had been collected at the time of the declaration.

The district includes Peabody, Lynn, Gloucester and North Shore.

Tierney, from Salem, Mass., attended Salem State College and majored in political science. He is also chairman of the National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). Tierney has been previously elected to congress, and will remain.

His opponent, Hudak, formed Hudak Law Offices in 1986, where he’s served as a practicing attorney for over 24 years. Hudak has been a member of the Saugus business and served the Saugus Rotary Club where he was president twice.

In his “thank you” speech, Tierney said, “Thank you to all of the voters who supported my campaign today, as well as the volunteers across our area, whose energy and commitment helped us achieve this victory.”

“Tonight I pledge to carry on my work in Congress to protect middle-class families, put Main Street’s priorities before Wall Street, strengthen our education system and get local residents back to work. Lawmakers and citizens on both sides of the aisle must come together to resume our efforts to get our country back on the right track, and ensure that all of our families can make it in America,” he added.

District 7
Long-time running Congressman Ed Markey has beaten out Republican opponent Gerry Dembrowski for the Massachusetts District 7 seat in the United States House of Representatives.

This victory marks Markey’s 18th consecutive victory for District 7, which he has held without any significant challenges since 1976. His challenger, Dembrowski, had previously stated his hope that his confidence and superior public image would propel him to victory over Markey.

However, this was not enough to uproot Democrat Markey from his firmly entrenched position in the solidly blue District 7. Dembrowski received 33 percent of the vote in the district, far less that the 67 percent of voters who stuck with Markey.

The town of Arlington drew in the most Markey votes, with 14,738, with Framingham drawing in a high of 6,666 votes for Dembrowski.

Ed Markey is known for his pro-environment votes, serving on several House Environmental Oversight and Energy Boards. More recently, he led demands for British Petroleum to provide a live underwater video feed of the rupture in their pipeline this summer.

Dembrowski, a Woburn chiropractor, was new to the political scene, having been motivated to race by what he saw as corruption in Congress. In addition, the death of his wife due to breast cancer led him to realize that, under the universal healthcare policy, he most likely would not have been able to obtain proper health care. He stated that one of his goals in office would have been to repeal the healthcare law for that reason.

District 8
United States Representative Mike Capuano won reelection for a seventh term in Massachusetts’ eighth district in an uncontested election.

Capuano, Democrat, was the only uncontested candidate running for House of Representatives in Massachusetts and has been uncontested in his previous four races. Capuano has held the seat since 1999.

Capuano spokesperson Alison Mills said the uncontested election has allowed “Congressman Capuano has spent a great deal of time in his district talking with constituents.”

Massachusetts’ eighth district covers about 70 percent of Boston (wards 1-5, 7-19, and 21-22) as well as Cambridge, Somerville and Chelsea.

When asked about running for the Massachusetts Senate seat currently held by Scott Brown in 2012 by Boston based State House News Service Capuano said, “Talk to me in December.”
Capuano ran for the senate seat vacated by Edward Kennedy but lost to Attorney General Martha Coakley in the special election democratic primary last December.

District 9
In an overwhelming majority Tuesday night, incumbent Stephen Lynch was re-elected for a fifth term. Lynch garnered 73 percent of the vote from 41,886 voters. Republican and first-time runner Vernon Harrison received 22 percent of the vote from 12,343. Independent Phil Dunkelbarger received five percent of the vote from only 2,816 voters.

All reporting precincts showed a majority in favor of Lynch. In Brockton, the home of one of Lynch’s campaign offices, Lynch won 15,497 votes.

Lynch has been in Congress since 2001, when he was sworn in following the passing of Congressman John Joseph Moakley. In 1994, Lynch was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He was then elected to the Massachusetts State Senate, again, in a special election.

Lynch was raised by a working class family and continued his early adult life as an iron worker. Lynch currently serves as the co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Labor and Working Families Caucus. He further believes that all Americans should be able to enjoy a decent standard of living and have the ability to provide for their families.

In 2007, Lynch introduced the Retirement Security Education Act in an attempt to improve financial literacy for Americans over 45 years old. In addition, Lynch believes that it is necessary to preserve social security. Recently, Lynch has been supportive of providing accessible health care to every family while simultaneously keeping health care costs down.

Though only registering 22 percent of the vote, first time runner Vernon Harrison received substantial amounts of votes in the Bridgewater precinct. Harrison won 3,341 votes, following closely behind Lynch’s 4,984 received votes.

“I am pleased with what we were able to do with the resources we had,” said Harrison following the election results. “I think we made the Republicans in the state proud.”

District 10
Democrat Bill Keating has been elected for his first term in the Massachusetts 10th Congressional District.

Keating defeated Republican candidate Jeff Perry, and three Independent candidates in Tuesday’s election.

With 46.5 percent of the vote, the Democratic candidate won the election. Perry, took second with 42.7 percent of the vote.

Independent candidate Maryanne Lewis received six percent of the vote, Independent Jim Sheets won 3.8 percent, and Joe van Nes finished with one percent as of 95 percent of the votes being counted.

The district stretches from Quincy south and includes all of Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties, as well as large tracts of Plymouth County and portions of Norfolk County on the South Shore. The district has been represented since 1997 by Quincy Democrat Bill Delahunt, who announced this March that he would not seek re-election.

It has been represented since 1997 by Quincy Democrat Bill Delahunt, who announced this March that he would not seek reelection. With Delahunt’s retirement in what the Cook Partisan Voting Index ranks as the Commonwealth’s most conservative district, the field was considered wide open.

Local and national Democratic organizations have attacked Perry for his handling of an incident regarding the questionable search of two teenage girls when he was a Wareham, Mass., police officer. Allegedly, Wareham officer at the time Scott Flanagan strip searched two teenagers in 1991 and 1992 under Perry’s command. In a sworn deposition in 1990, former Wareham Police Chief Thomas A. Joyce said “Perry had not been 100 percent truthful to me,” noting that Perry initially denied the searches ever took place. The families of the two girls sued the Wareham Police Department, with the jury finding in favor of the victim in one case and a pretrial settlement in the other.

—————————————–

Ellen Story defeats two UMass grads

Incumbent Democratic State Rep. Ellen Story defeated Repulican challenger Daniel M. Sandell and independent Dan Melick, both University of Massachusetts Amherst graduates, with 77 percent of the vote. Sandell had 19 percent and Melick had four percent.

The race was hard-fought on all sides, with Sandell going door-to-door several times and attempting to woo UMass students to his cause. “We finished as strong as possible,” he said. “If I lose, I’m not going to blame it on a lack of work ethic.”

Sandell had volunteers carrying signs on the streets of Amherst and Granby for several hours yesterday and said that, win or lose, he was feeling good about “going back to being a relatively normal person for a few months.”

“If you had told me a year ago I’d be doing this, I’d have told you that you were crazy,” Sandell said.

Melick was also feeling good. He and some volunteers handed out flyers by the Lederle Tower where special buses were taking students to Amherst polling places.

“I feel like I got out there and accomplished a lot of what I wanted to do, which was give people a choice,” Melick said.

Sandell was unsure of weather he would run again in 2012, while Melick was certain he would get involved with the Amherst Town Meeting again.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting in the Third Hampshire District, which includes Amherst and Granby, Story had 8,049 votes; Sandell had 1,941 and Melick had 410. Story has represented Amherst in the State House since winning a special election in 1991.