Votes cast on 1st Middlesex District state Senate post

Voter turnout was light on Tuesday in the election to fill the vacant 1st Middlesex District state Senate seat, but many people showed up to cast their ballots in hopes that their candidate would win.

The special election was held to fill the state Senate seat left vacant by the death of former state Sen. Edward Kennedy last year. The 1st Middlesex District encompasses Lowell, Dracut, Dunstable, Pepperell and Tyngsboro.

Running in the election were Democratic state Rep. Vanna Howard, Republican candidate Sam Meas and unenrolled candidate Joe Espinola, all of whom had their backers come out to support them, despite a steady snow that started around 12:30 p.m.

The turnout was “fair” at Lowell’s Reilly School, according to election clerk Maureen Curran.

“It’s a little on the slow side, but steady. If it gets icy people aren’t going to come, especially when it’s such a smaller” election than normal, she said. There was only one election, for state Senate, but she said normally the Reilly School is hopping when it’s a statewide election.

Howard was outside the Reilly School, holding an election sign with a couple of supporters, not being fazed by a few snowflakes.

“It’s been a good response, lots of waves, lots of support,” said Howard, who noted she had 50 volunteers either holding signs throughout the district or helping her knock on doors throughout the day to get the vote out.

“Sen. Ed Kennedy was a colleague and a friend, so (if elected) I hope to continue his work in education, housing, environmental protection, decent health care and lowering the cost of living right now because we are being priced out,” Howard said. “There’s not enough housing that is affordable.”

Meas was also running around the district garnering support from the electorate, starting in Pepperell and then making his way to the Morey School in Lowell.

“The response has been overwhelming,” said Meas, noting that there was a steady flow of voters early on in Pepperell.

If elected, he said, “My vision would be to fight to implement my campaign promises. One priority would be to lower the cost of utilities, including delivery charges, which are essentially another tax.”

Another target in his sight is “the audit to the state Legislature … 72% of the people voted for that and I would work with State Auditor Diana DiZoglio and I would introduce bills in the state Legislature to get that going,” Meas said.

Election clerks Sukey Blake and Melissa Quinones at Lowell High School were helping people as they came in, three people came in one after another after about 15 minutes with no one coming in. “That was kind of like a rush,” Quinones said. Blake said she was involved with elections her whole life and appreciated the chance to work as an election clerk.

Voters quizzed on their preferences lined up behind all of the different candidates.

Bill Mitchell, an independent voting at Lowell High School, said, “I voted for Vanna Howard, because I just like her and I like what she says. She was endorsed by people I respect. I consider myself a moderate. I don’t don’t like any extremism. She seems sane, so I’m willing to give her a chance.”

And Fatu Kanu, voting at Lowell High School, said, “I just voted for Vanna. She’s a nice lady, that’s all I can say. I think she’s going to be a great candidate.”

For George Rivers, voting at Lowell High School, the answer was “Sam Meas. I’ve seen him talk at the Senior Center … and he was saying he supports veterans. Kennedy was good with veterans and I think Meas would be as well.”

Phany Nop also voted for Meas. “I like him because I’ve known him for a long time. I believe in him.”

Over at the Morey School, Sinara Non said her vote went to “Vanna Howard. She did a lot for the community and we trust in her. She’s a good leader, she’s done a lot.”

Also lining up behind Howard was Maria Cunha, who not only voted at the Morey School but planned to hold a sign for Howard after she voted.

“I voted for Rep. Howard. I have known her for many years … and I’ve seen her in action,” Cunha said. She’s very focused, she’s constituent-oriented. She never stops and she’ll do a great job for the district, and keep her constituents in mind as she has to make difficult decisions.”

Polling places were eerily empty in Dracut, Tyngsboro and the Pawtucketville Memorial Elementary School in Lowell. In some places, snowbanks seemed more numerous than voters.

Plenty of campaign signs were visible at the polling sites, but no one was there to wave them. Instead, the signs were planted in snowdrifts apparently with the intent of catching the eye of a potential voter.

Driving through Dracut and Tyngsboro, the signs were largely supporting Joe Espinola’s bid for the 1st Middlesex Senate seat. Espinola, who is from Lowell originally, has lived in Dracut and Tyngsboro and was a Lowell police officer for 22 years before injuries forced him to retire.

At 11 a.m., only two cars were parked in several spaces marked “Parking for Voters Only” at the Lowell elementary school. In the gymnasium one couple had checked in for Ward 1, Precinct 3 and were in voting booths. One person was voting in Ward 1, Precinct 4.

Outside carrying a Joe Espinola sign was Justin Anderson of Lowell, Espinola’s nephew, and the only person waving a sign there. He reported that a group of Vanna Howard supporters had been there earlier, but they’d left.

Asked how things were going, Anderson replied emphatically, “Slow!” In fact, only 28 voters had cast ballots in Precinct 4 at that time. Precinct 3 had been a little busier with 60 votes cast.

A car came in the driveway, piloted by an elderly woman and her passenger. The driver hit one of the snowbanks at the entrance and looked around puzzled by where to go next. The snowbanks made the driveway and parking lot hard to navigate. Giving up on making his directions to the polls clear, Anderson dropped his sign and chased after their car.

Business at the Richardson School in Dracut was also slow with one person holding a sign along Lakeview Avenue.

At the Richardson School, Richard and Charlene Keough were entering the building, but stopped to talk briefly when asked what brought them out on a bad weather day. “We always vote, and we always vote in person,” Charlene Keough said, brushing aside any feelings about the weather.

Espinola had been at the Richardson School earlier in the day, but was coming back at 12:30 p.m. to talk to the press. He came along with several members of his family. That was the largest crowd a reporter witnessed in driving through part of the district.

Espinola chatted with The Sun reporter for a few minutes about his political philosophy which he described as “somewhat conservative,” but then went on to advocate for undocumented immigrants who have been in the country for years working and not committing crimes. He said the state should be helping them along with getting citizenship.

He also critiqued the nation’s health system, speaking about a couple who were told that to get help, they would need to get a divorce.

Everyone should vote, he argued. “If they can’t find anyone to vote for, they should get a ballot anyway and just put it in the machine blank.” That is the way to protest candidates who aren’t appealing to you.

“It’s democracy,” he said while discussing whether bad weather would keep people from voting.

At the Tyngsboro Middle School, there were no signs on display either in a snowbank or in supporters’ hands.

Election results are expected to come in past The Sun’s print deadline. Check lowellsun.com and Thursday’s print edition for further reporting on the 1st Middlesex Senate District race.