Congressman Joe Kennedy III scored a rare win in Chelsea on Tuesday night, Sept. 1, in a Democratic Primary that was all about his opponent, U.S. Senator Ed Markey – who took the statewide vote decidedly.
In Chelsea, Kennedy got 2,097 votes (52 percent) to Markey’s 1,903 votes (47 percent), built on a campaign that came to Chelsea numerous times and especially in August when he dropped by Golden Cannoli and came last Saturday campaigning with New York Congressman Adriano Espaillat.
Kennedy also had the support of Councilor Judith Garcia, who had joined the campaign staff during the summer. Council President Roy Avellaneda was also very strongly in the Kennedy camp as well.
Kennedy’s win in Chelsea follows a clear trend where he did very well in Latino and Spanish-speaking communities. In Everett, the race went to Markey, but was much closer than expected for a Senator who grew up the next city over and had huge institutional support.
In Revere and Lynn, where there are huge Latino communities, Kennedy also won over Markey. That was also true in Boston, where areas of that city which are heavily Spanish-speaking bucked the trend and voted for Kennedy. That was likely due to the fact that Kennedy frequently spoke fluent Spanish when he showed up to events where Spanish-speakers were present.
In Boston overall and everywhere else, however, Markey cleaned Kennedy’s clock in a decisive win that was over very quickly in the evening.
Markey pulled out the statewide win with 55 percent of the vote to Kennedy’s 44.6 percent of the vote. In Boston, it was even more lopsided as Markey collected 59 percent of the vote (77,518) to Kennedy’s 40 percent (52,485).
Markey enjoyed strong support in western Massachusetts, and also on Cape Ann. Kennedy showed strength in southeast Massachusetts and central Massachusetts.
Kennedy jumped out to a fast start more than a year ago, and as time went on, few gave Markey a chance as Kennedy seemed to have the rising star. However, one should never count Ed Markey out of the picture. Markey’s campaign came alive down the stretch with the ‘Leads and Delivers’ bus tour, and grabbed a key endorsements from local leaders like State Sen. Sal DiDomenico.
In Kennedy’s concession speech Tuesday night, he said his coalition will continue.
“The Senator is a good man,” he said of Markey. “You’ve never heard me say otherwise. I know it was difficult between us at times — good elections get heated — but I am grateful for our debates, for his commitment to this Commonwealth, and for the energy and enthusiasm that he brought to this race. Obviously, these results are not the ones we were hoping for…We built a campaign for the people that our politics too often locks out and leaves behind. We built a campaign for Lawrence and Chelsea and New Bedford and Roxbury and Brockton and Springfield and Lowell and Worcester. We built a campaign for working folks — of every color and creed — who carry the economic injustice of this country on their backs. This campaign’s coalition will endure.”
•Other Uncontested Races
In other races voted on in Chelsea Tuesday that weren’t contested, the following were the results:
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley – 3,378 votes
State Sen. Sal DiDomenico – 3,323 votes
Register of Probate Felix Arroyo beat Kerby Roberson 2,932 votes to 637 votes.
Governor’s Councillor Terrence Kennedy beat Helina Fontes, 2,222 votes to 1,365 votes.
•Republican Ballot
There was one contested race on the Republican ballot, but a lot of action in the write-in category it has been said.
In the U.S. Senate race on the Republican side, Kevin O’Connor beat Siva Ayyadurai, 201 to 192.