In one of the closest gubernatorial elections in recent memory, Republican Charlie Baker squeezed out a victory over Democrat Martha Coakley during the Nov. 4 general election.
Meanwhile, in the only competitive local election, Democrat state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz (2nd Suffolk District) trounced Republican David James Wyatt. The senator garnered 90 percent of the votes, while Wyatt took home just 10 percent, according to unofficial City results.
Democrat state Reps. Jeffrey Sánchez (15th Suffolk District), Russell Holmes (6th Suffolk District) and Liz Malia (11th Suffolk District) did not have any challengers in the general election.
In the Governor’s Office race, Baker becomes the first Republican governor since Mitt Romney left office in 2006. He beat Coakley and three other challengers: Evan Falchuk (of the United Independent Party), and independent candidates Jeff McCormick and Scott Lively.
In the race to replace Coakley as the state attorney general, former state Assistant Attorney General Maura Healey handily beat Republican John Miller.
Democrat Deborah Goldberg won state treasurer, while state Secretary of State William Galvin was victorious in his reelection bid.
Former Boston City Councilor Felix D. Arroyo, who came out of a thick field of several candidates to earn the Democratic nomination for Suffolk County register of probate office, faced no challengers for that office in the general election.
Felix D. Arroyo is well-known locally as the father of Felix G. Arroyo, a JP resident and the City of Boston’s chief of Health and Human Services.
In the race for the sheriff of Suffolk County, current officeholder and Democrat Steven Tompkins beat independent Hassan Smith. Tompkins will serve out the remaining term left by Jamaica Plain resident Andrea Cabral, who was appointed to the state secretary of public safety. The next full-term sheriff election will be in 2016.
There were also four ballot questions that were decided:
- Question 1 was approved and will eliminate the requirement that the state gas tax be adjusted annually to inflation.
- Question 2 was voted down and it would have expanded the state’s beverage container deposit law to cover non-alcoholic, non-carbonated drinks with some exceptions.
- Question 3 was also voted down. It would have repealed the state casino law.
- Question 4 was approved and will entitle certain employees to earned sick time under certain conditions.