Published November 7, 2018

WAKEFIELD — The town’s Beacon Hill delegation was reelected during yesterday’s important state balloting, which saw nearly 68 percent of Wakefield’s registered voters participate. Most of them also stuck up for community hospitals by overwhelmingly rejecting a question that would have limited the amount of patients nurses could see, and followed a state trend in protecting the rights of transgender people.

On a gloomy Election Day 2018, 12,885 of the 19,061 residents eligible to vote did so, keeping the booths in the Galvin Middle School cafeteria humming with activity for most of the 13 hours polls were open.

DONALD WONG

According to unofficial results supplied by Town Clerk Betsy Sheeran’s office, Wakefieldians decided overwhelmingly to give Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karen Polito another four years, results mirroring the statewide outcome.

U.S. Senator Elizabeth A. Warren was also reelected over Whitman Republican Geoff Diehl, a result which could set up a White House run for the now-two term Democrat.

Local voters also reelected Attorney General Maura Healey, Secretary of State William Galvin, Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, Auditor Suzanne Bump and Governor’s Councilor Terrence Kennedy.

Salem Democrat Seth Moulton, who made it very clear that he was working not only on getting reelected but on putting the U.S. House of Representatives back in the hands of the Democratic Party, won on both fronts yesterday.

Closer to home, state Sen. Jason M. Lewis, the Winchester Democrat, won another term over Reading resident and businesswoman Erin K. Calvo-Bacci.

PAUL BRODEUR

He said, “I want to thank the voters of our district for continuing to place their trust in me to represent them in the state Senate. Thank you to all our supporters and dedicated volunteers for powering our grassroots campaign. And, I want to congratulate my opponent Erin Calvo-Bacci and her supporters for the strong campaign they ran.”

Residents in Greenwood and the West Side had an unopposed Paul Brodeur running for reelection as their state Representative. Brodeur secured nearly 98 percent of the vote cast in that race yesterday.

This morning, the Melrose Democrat said the work continues as lawmakers “need to focus on education funding for all three communities in my district (a part of Malden, a half of Wakefield and all of Melrose) to make sure they have what they need for children to succeed, and also we need long-term plans for improving our transportation system.”

Brodeur may not see his next two-year term all the way through, however. He is weighing whether to run for Melrose mayor next year but hasn’t made up his mind, he said. The city is gearing up for an April 2019 override vote, and Brodeur wants to wait until that critical decision is made before he decides what to do.

JASON LEWIS

In Montrose and the North Ward, state Rep. Donald H. Wong was reelected to another term on Beacon Hill, besting challenges from Democrat Matthew Crescenzo and Independent Michael Coller, both of Saugus.

Wong said, “The voters have spoken, and now that the results are in, it will be my privilege to go back to the State House to advocate for Lynn, Saugus, Wakefield, and the people of the 9th Essex District. It will be my privilege to continue to advocate for our taxpayers, our First Responders, our veterans, and our Seniors. It will be my privilege to continue to advocate for our students, our youth at risk, our environment, those suffering from opioid addiction and diseases that need our help the most.

“I am honored to win this election. I truly love my job. I enjoy working with the other Reps at the State House, and our local officials. I enjoy attending all the local events I can, because that’s how I stay in close touch with the people I work for…You! While there are some that enjoy the fight, I look at the job differently. I see the job as an opportunity to work together with the different Reps on both sides of the aisle at the State House, the local governments in Lynn, Saugus, Wakefield, local businesses and community groups to improve the quality of life in our district and our State. I will do all I can to expand and improve the working relationships with each town.”

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan ran unopposed for reelection, as did Clerk of Courts Michael A. Sullivan and Register of Deeds Maria C. Curtatone.

On the three referendum questions on yesterday’s ballot, town results mirrored statewide results.

Across Wakefield, 9,787 people rejected limiting the nurse to patient ratios sought in Question 1, with 2,744 in support of it.

Question 2, which will establish a commission tasked with considering and recommending potential amendments to the United States Constitution in order to regulate money in politics, passed 8,665 votes to 3,664 votes.

Townspeople also backed Question 3, which asked voters to support a state law that protects transgender people from discrimination in public accommodations such as bathrooms and locker rooms. It passed 8,247 to 4,303.