Voters in Massachusetts leaned hard on the Democratic lever yesterday, supporting Sen. Barack Obama and sending back state and national incumbents with overwhelming mandates.
"I voted for the whole Democratic ticket," Tom Dambrosio, age 65, told the Daily after casting his ballot in Medford. "What's the sense of having a Democratic president and a Republican Congress? That's like having a gun without a bullet."
On the congressional level, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) disposed of GOP challenger Jeff Beatty, who formerly worked for the FBI and CIA, taking 65 percent of the vote with 86 percent of precincts reporting. Meanwhile, Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) brushed away Revere businessman John Cunningham, bringing in 75 percent of the vote with 68 percent of precincts reporting, and Rep. Michael Capuano took home an uncontested victory.
On the local level, state Sen. Patricia Jehlen (D-2nd Middlesex), state Rep. Carl Sciortino (D-34th Middlesex) and state Rep. Sean Garballey (D-23rd Middlesex) also went unopposed.
Somerville Board of Elections Commissioner Nicholas Salerno said the numbers of voters flocking to the polls outstripped those from previous years, particularly among young people.
"There's been a much greater turnout compared to recent elections," he said.
Sharon Bourque, who worked the Gantcher Center polling station, attributed the extensive turnout to college voters. "We've never had that many voters, so that shows you college students can make a difference," she said.
Freshman John Peter Kaytrosh, who voted at Gantcher, supported Democratic candidates for Beacon as well as Capitol Hill spots.
Kaytrosh worked on Sciortino's (LA '00) campaign and said that the local politicians resonated with him.
"He's been a real champion of gay rights and other issues that are important to me," Kaytrosh said. "Of course, he's a Tufts graduate, so I'm proud to give him my vote."
Russel Cickinger, age 28, said he voted down the line for Democrats. Specifically, he supported Capuano and the type of programming he has funded for Somerville.
"I think he's done a lot of good work in the area," Cickinger, who voted in Medford, said. "I like how he's supported Somerville and increased funding for the arts. That's been pretty impressive."
Maureen Borgan, a Medford resident and mother, also gave the nod to all the Democrats on the ballot. She said she voted for Kerry because of his achievements as a senator. "He's doing a great job," Borgan said. "He just stands up for what we want. He represents us."
Giovanni Russonello contributed reporting to this article.
