Politics & Government

Dover Chooses Gomez, Sherborn Chooses Markey

Robyn M. Hunter was elected in the other election: Dover selectmen's race.

Sherborn went with the state, choosing Democrat Ed Markey as its choice for Senate, but Dover went with newcomer Republican Gabriel Gomez in a split decision on Election Day.

The unofficial results of Sherborn list Markey with the majority of the vote. Markey had 692 votes or 51 percent of the vote. Gomez had 651 votes and 49 percent of the vote.

Richard A. Heos received two votes.

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In Dover, however, the results were in Gomez’s favor. Gomez came away with 1,026 votes (or 62 percent) and Markey garnered 626 votes or 38 percent. Heos earned four votes.

Dover was also holding a town election. Robyn M. Hunter, the only candidate running, received the majority vote for town selectman with 1,125 votes, 64 blanks and 42 write-ins. There were close to 4,000 overall voters in Dover, with 42 percent of the population voting in the state election.

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In both Dover and Sherborn, the town clerks were impressed with the voter turnout, despite initial reports that turn out would be at an all time low.

Carole Marple, Sherborn’s town clerk, said more than 20 percent of the population went to the polls by 3 p.m. Last year, the state primary gained 21 percent of the population in voter turn out. Dover Town Clerk Barrie Clough said turnout in Dover was “excellent.”

“It was surprising to see as many people here as we did,” he said. “There were quite a few absentee ballots.” Clough said a number of factors were looked at as deterrents such as the heat, the last day of school in the Dover-Sherborn school district, or a lack of interest.

“Voters have been very good today. Everyone’s been registered. We’ve had a steady stream of voters coming in,” Clough said.

Marple said most of the voters had cast their ballot in the morning when the polls opened.

“It’s been a steady trickle of voters coming in all day,” she said. “We’ve also had more than 100 absentee ballots in the last two weeks.”

The assistant town clerk in Dover, Felicia Hoffman, was serving as an election worker. She said she enjoyed being a part of the democratic process.

“I love elections and I love making them run smoothly,” she said. “It’s a privilege to vote.”

In Sherborn, Marple said a state statute allows 16- and 17-year-olds to work as election workers. Seventeen-year-old Jake Frankenfield, an incoming senior at Dover-Sherborn High School, was on hand to help.

“I started working for the student director program and it opened my eyes to civic duty,” he said. “You’re afforded a voice in democracy, and you can’t waste that opportunity.” He’ll be looking to attend college in the future with an interest in political science, journalism, and international relations, and he looks forward to voting next year.

The emphasis on the importance of voting was not lost on voters.

Carl Sheridan, the former police chief of Dover, said he was pleased to see the amount of people who showed up to vote.

“It’s an indication that they care about the future of the town. People care about the town, they care about the schools,” he said.

Nancy Cordell of Sherborn said voting was easy for her. “It’s always been pleasant and very simple,” she said. She just moved to Sherborn from Waltham three weeks ago and noted voting in the city was much more difficult than in Sherborn.

Sherborn resident Charles Blaney also noted the ease in voting. “I’ve been voting here since 1965 and it was good as always. The town of Sherborn makes it quick and very simple,” he said.

Margaret Derian, a Dover resident, is also a member of the Dover Democratic Committee. Derian was standing outside of the polls holding a sign to support Ed Markey.

“It’s a great way of being visible and supporting my candidate,” she said. She said Dover tends to be weighted by Republicans, but she is concerned with keeping a Democratic majority in the Senate. She said she is against high capacity gun magazines and is in favor of Medicare, two issues that align her with Markey.

Peter H. Ting of Dover, who also supports Markey said, “Obama needs all the support in the Senate.”

“It’s a civic duty to vote and we are very fortunate to have that right. Everyone should exercise it,” Derian said. 


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