In an example of how political tables can turn in four years, at least two North Quabbin towns that voted in favor of President Donald Trump in 2016 opted for Democratic candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday.
Biden bested Trump, 1,965 to 1,688, in Orange, and 2,676 to 2,561 in Athol.
Sitting U.S. Sen. Ed Markey also garnered a win in Orange, with 1,983 votes to Republican challenger Kevin O’Connor’s 1,628. U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern handily won his re-election bid over Tracy Lovvorn, 2,105 to 1,551.
State Rep. Susannah Whipps, an Athol former Republican who is now the lone member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives not enrolled in a political party, earned 2,403 votes in Orange to Democratic challenger Will LaRose’s 1,142.
Orange voters gave their blessing to Question 1, the “Right to Repair” initiative, pertaining to vehicle owners and the state’s 1,500 independent repair facilities being provided with expanded access to wirelessly transmitted mechanical data related to their vehicles’ maintenance and repair, with 2,759 votes in favor and 903 opposed. However, they rejected Question 2, which pertained to ranked choice voting, with 2,245 votes against the initiative and 1,342 in favor of it.
According to the final tally, 3,786 of Orange’s 5,341 registered voters cast ballots in this election. There were 2,030 early votes.
In Athol, Markey beat O’Connor, 2,765 to 2,472, and McGovern defeated Lovvorn, 2,931 to 2,393.
Whipps won 3,644 to 1,596 and state Sen. Anne Gobi, D-Spencer, defeated Republican challenger Steven Hall, 2,989 to 2,314.
Question 1 got approval in Athol, 3,980 votes to 1,320. Question 2 was rejected, however, with 1,708 to 3,589.
Unlike Athol and Orange, Phillipston went red in the election, voting in favor of the Trump/Pence ticket as well as O’Connor and Lovvorn. The incumbent presidential administration collected 607 Phillipston votes, while O’Connor garnered 575 and Lovvorn got 570. Biden received 464 votes. Markey posted 470 and McGovern saw 498.
Whipps trounced LaRose in Phillipston, 749 to 278, while Gobi edged out Hall, 577 to 506.
Question 1 got the nod in Phillipston, with 848 votes in favor and 226 in opposition, while Question 2 was rejected. The 333 votes in favor of Question 2 were less than half of the 731 opposed to the measure.
Biden won New Salem, with 418 votes. Trump came in second place, with 237.
Markey and McGovern also won in New Salem, with 426 and 446 votes, respectively. Republican challengers O’Connor and Lovvorn earned 223 and 218, respectively.
New Salem voters approved of Question 1, 527 to 128, but shot down Question 2, 301 to 342.
The Biden-Harris ticket took Petersham as well, with 528 votes. The Trump-Pence ticket garnered 321. Markey cruised to victory with 516 votes to O’Connor’s 316. McGovern was another victorious Democrat, with 531 to Lovvorn’s 318.
Gobi won Petersham, with 579 votes to Hall’s 280, and Whipps also came out on top over LaRose, 526 to 288.
Voters approved of Question 1, 635 to 203, but rejected Question 2, 338 to 498.
Royalston went for Biden, with 404 votes. Trump got 357. Royalston also opted for Markey, who collected 401 to O’Connor’s 344, and for McGovern, who earned 415 to Lovvorn’s 342.
Whipps bested LaRose in Royalston, 495 to 227.
Question 1 passed, 618 to 144, but Question 2 was rejected, 266 to 487.
Biden took Warwick, with 343 votes to Trump’s 160. Markey received 330 to O’Connor’s 177, and 354 votes came in for McGovern compared to 152 for Lovvorn.
Question 2 was narrowly defeated in Warwick, by a vote of 260 to 237, although Question 1 passed easily, 428 to 84.
Biden took Wendell, with 484 votes to Trump’s 105. Question 1, right to repair, garnered 495 “yes” votes vs. 95 “no” votes. Question 2, ranked choice voting, passed in Wendell, 414-174.
Orange saw the lowest voter turnout of the aforementioned towns, at 70.89 percent. Petersham saw the greatest turnout, with 880 ballots cast out of 1,009 registered voters, or a 87 percent turnout.
As of 1 a.m. on Wednesday, Wendell’s results have not been received.