By AUBREY HAWKE
Waltham Times Contributing Writer
Waltham citizens, like citizens nationwide, went to the polls on Nov. 5 to cast their votes in multiple contests at the national, state and local levels.
Here in Waltham, voters re-elected Thomas M. Stanley as state representative for the 9th Middlesex District, a position he has held since 2001. Stanley also has served on Waltham’s City Council since 1997.
“I am grateful for the strong support I received from so many Waltham voters in this election. It has been my honor to serve as State Representative and I am very proud to receive this vote of confidence from the people I’ve worked hard to represent. Clearly, we live in challenging times when political divisions and differences can impede progress on many critical issues. I believe we can make progress and get things done when all sides come together respectfully to solve problems. I look forward to making that happen and I sincerely thank the people of Waltham for giving me the opportunity to do that again on their behalf,” Stanley told The Waltham Times.
Stanley won with 13,262 votes. Republican candidate Carly Marie Downs finished with 3,794, and Sean Diamond, an independent affiliated with the Forward Party, finished with 1,205.
Incumbent John J. Lawn was re-elected as state representative for the 10th Middlesex District, which comprises parts of Waltham, Newton and Watertown. Lawn has served in the position since 2011 and ran unopposed this year. Lawn received 5,167 votes. There were 119 write-ins and 1,532 ballots that left this portion blank.
Tallies for the federal races
In the presidential and vice presidential election, Waltham voted in favor of electing Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, with 17,689 votes. Waltham cast 7,742 for the Republican ticket topped by Donald J. Trump, who won the election.
Waltham voters also cast 603 votes for third-party candidates in the presidential race. There were also 187 write-ins and 276 ballots that left this portion blank.
All 11 Massachusetts electoral votes will go to Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, according to The Associated Press. Statewide they received 61.4% of the votes, with Trump and running mate JD Vance receiving 36.4%.
In the race for the U.S. Senate seat, Democratic incumbent Elizabeth Warren kept her seat, after receiving 59.8% of the votes statewide. Republican challenger John Deaton received 40.2%. In Waltham, Warren got 17,249 votes and Deaton got 8,432. There were 62 write-ins and 754 ballots which left this portion blank.
Waltham votes on ballot question
Waltham voted yes on Question 1, in favor of allowing the state auditor to audit the Massachusetts Legislature, with 17,538 voting yes and 6,942 voting no. Statewide the question was successful, garnering 71.5% yes votes.
Waltham voted yes on Question 2, in favor of removing a passing grade on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) as a statewide graduation requirement for students. Here there were 14,944 yes votes and 10,628 no votes. Statewide 59% of the votes were yes.
Waltham voted yes on Question 3, in favor of letting ride-share drivers, such as Uber and Lyft, unionize, with 14,158 voting yes and 10,505 voting no. Statewide Question 3 was successful, with 53.9% of the vote being in favor.
Waltham voted no on Question 4, voting against the legalization of psychedelic substances in Massachusetts. The tally here was 13,047 no and 11,979 yes, with 57% of the state voting no.
Waltham voted no on Question 5, voting against changing Massachusetts law about tipped worker wages, with 14,827 no votes and 10,264 yes votes. Statewide Question 5 failed, with 64.1% of the vote being opposed.
Waltham voted yes on Question 6, which was only on the ballot for Waltham voters in the 10th Middlesex District. The yes vote advises the district’s state representative to vote “for legislation to create a single-payer system of universal health care that provides all Massachusetts residents with comprehensive health care coverage including the freedom to choose doctors and other health care professionals, facilities, and services and eliminates the role of insurance companies in health care by creating an insurance trust fund that is publicly administered.” In Waltham, Question 6 received 4,255 yes votes and 1,789 no votes.
In total 26,497 Waltham citizens voted in this election, representing 70% of Waltham’s 37,860 registered voters. Waltham saw 80% voter turnout in the 2020 presidential election.
The full list of Waltham unofficial results is as follows:
○ Electors of President and Vice President: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz
○ Senator in Congress: Elizabeth Ann Warren
○ Representative in Congress, 5th District: Katherine M. Clark
○ Councillor, 3rd District: Mara Dolan
○ Senator in General Court, 3rd Middlesex: Michael J. Barrett
○ Representative in General Court, 9th Middlesex District: Thomas M. Stanley
○ Representative in General Court, 10th Middlesex District: John J. Lawn
○ Clerk of Courts, Middlesex District: Michael A. Sullivan
○ Register of Deeds, Middlesex Southern District: Maria C. Curtatone
○ Question 1: YES
○ Question 2: YES
○ Question 3: YES
○ Question 4: NO
○ Question 5: NO
○ Question 6: YES
Click here to read the full results.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include comments from Thomas M. Stanley.