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POLITICS: Markey Edges Gomez in Tight Groton Race: 10-Vote Wining Margin

While you would never know it statewide or even locally, the Special US Senatorial Election in Groton was on the minds of many voters despite the indifference that voters displayed statewide. The Secretary of State's Office in Massachusetts had forecast an historically low turnout for the Special State Election and media outlets cited factors from Boston Bruins Stanley Cup run to the Boston Marathon bombings to summer vacations as reasons this election failed to capture voters' attention.

Voting results in Groton bucked those trends and turnout at the Special Election was a respectable 32 percent and significantly higher than the Special Primary Election on April 30 when only 20 percent turned out and that was for a double election (state primary and town election). The other interesting angle on the local level was the tightness of the race. It was almost a dead heat between the two candidates - Republican Gabriel Gomez and Democrat Edward Markey. Markey won the Groton vote by the thinnest of margins receiving 10 votes more than Gomez. Gomez won 49 percent of the Groton vote while Markey won 49.5 percent of the vote. Statewide, the margin of victory for Markey was much higher with Markey receiving 55 percent of the vote to 45 percent received by Gomez.

The Groton vote was split among the three precincts. Precincts One and Three voted for Markey while Precinct Two voted for Gomez. In Precinct One, Gomez received 437 votes while Markey received 464. In Precinct Three, Gomez received 374 votes while Markey received 414. In Precinct Two, however, Gomez received a pluratity with 404 votes while Markey received 346. Total vote for all three precincts was 1225 for Markey and 1215 for Gomez. Precinct One is located in West Groton and parts of Groton Center. Precinct Three includes most of Groton Center while Precinct Two includes East Groton and the Lost Lake section of town.

Markey will now take the U. S. Senate seat of John Kerry. After Markey officially resigns his U. S. House of Representatives seat, a special election will be held in the Fifth Congressional District to fill his seat.

Groton Herald

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