Updated 9/8
Dukes County Sheriff Robert Ogden won in a landslide over challenger Erik Blake in the Democratic primary. The unofficial results show Ogden with 2,116 votes to 1,530 for Blake — a gap of 586 votes.
Ogden won each of the towns, including Oak Bluffs, where Blake served as police chief until he retired earlier this summer.
The outcome of the primary will result in Ogden being re-elected to a second six-year term, as there is no Republican on the ballot.
Chilmark reported its results in the sheriff’s race at about 10:20 pm. Both Chilmark and Aquinnah count votes by hand, which slows their results. In Aquinnah, the mail-in votes will not be counted for the election. Town clerk Gabriella Camilleri told The Times a postal worker was ill and the vote-by-mail ballots were not delivered. She updated The Times on Wednesday that the ballots had to come in by 8 pm on Tuesday, so if there were any mail-in votes, they will not be counted on Wednesday. Camilleri said mail-in votes that arrive late because of the Post Office can only be counted during the November elections.
“We hope something like this doesn’t happen again,” Camilleri said.
The Times reached out to Vineyard Haven postmaster Trisha Purdy about the mail-in vote incident, who said she was “not at liberty to answer anything.” Purdy referred The Times to USPS Massachusetts spokesperson Stephen Doherty, who had not heard about the Aquinnah mail-in vote incident. Doherty said he will get back to The Times after making “a few phone calls.”
“Regarding ballots in Tuesday’s primary election held by the Aquinnah town clerks’ office, the Postal Service is unaware of reports of alleged late-arriving ballots. The postal facility referenced conducted sweeps, delivered mail and confirmed completion of postal processes on Tuesday as per procedure,” Doherty said later in an email Wednesday evening, emphasizing the U.S. Postal Service’s commitment to “delivering election mail in a timely [and secure] manner.”
Reached Tuesday night, Ogden said the results would not be “a lock until it’s certified,” but he expressed gratitude toward the Martha’s Vineyard community for re-electing him. Particularly he thanked the 45 volunteers who “stood out in the rain for him,” and his wife and daughter, who “stood by my side.”
“I say we did a good job,” Ogden said. “I’m really proud of everybody tonight, and it really shows how the community can come together.”
Blake conceded just after 10 pm. “I wish there was a stronger turnout for the election,” he wrote in a text message. “I congratulate Bob Ogden on a campaign well run.”
Earlier in the day, outside Tisbury’s polls, Blake’s wife, Catie Blake of West Tisbury, stood with her arm over the shoulder of her friend, Suzanne Flanders of Oak Bluffs. Flanders held an Ogden sign, and Blake had a Blake sign. Both women smiled and waved to passing vehicles.
On the rainy primary day, Ogden expressed a readiness to win. “I feel wet but very confident. We have done the work. I have six years of work at the sheriff’s office, and $14 million on the table,” Ogden said. “We have a lot on the horizon, and I’m looking forward to another six years.”
Blake told The Times at noontime Tuesday he was greeting voters in Oak Bluffs after being in West Tisbury and Edgartown. Blake said he felt like he had “a really strong chance” if voter volume was high. Blake said his family roots are “very, very deep on the Island,” and that might make the difference.
There were also races on the Republican side for Cape and Islands district attorney to decide who will face Democrat Robert Galibois, who is the only candidate on the Democratic side. Melissa Alden, John Carey, and Daniel Higgins were on the Republican ballot. It was a tight race between Higgins and Carey — Higgins had 200 votes to 198 for Carey — while Alden had 130 votes. However, on the mainland, Higgins captured the nomination easily.
There are two Plymouth Republicans — Jesse Brown and Dan Sullivan — seeking to challenge U.S. Rep. William Keating, D-Bourne, for the 9th Congressional District. Sullivan had a one-vote lead over Brown on the Island, 257-256, in another tight race. According to the Associated Press, Brown leads Sullivan overall.
Another race of local interest pit Republicans Daralyn Heywood and Christopher Lauzon, looking to challenge state Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro, in the general election. Lauzon led 258-218 among Vineyard voters, and had a commanding lead overall, according to the Cape Cod Times.
In the race for governor on the Republican side, Island voters liked Chris Doughty over Geoff Diehl in a close tally of 284-281. But it is Diehl who will face Democratic nominee Maura Healey in the battle to replace Gov. Charlie Baker.
In the Democratic primary for attorney general on the Vineyard, Andrea Campbell had an overwhelming lead Islandwide with 1,751 votes, to 882 for Shannon Liss-Riordan and 440 for Quentin Palfrey, who had dropped out of the race but was still on the ballot. In the Secretary of State primary, incumbent William Galvin led Tanisha Sullivan 2,139-1,075 on the Island, and also led statewide.
Eunki Seonwoo, Abigail Rosen, Rich Saltzberg, Jenna Lambert, and Dave Plath contributed to this report.
Congratulations on your victory. The best man for the job….
How about the write-ins for county commission? I voted for two of them, and I believe there was a third. I’m guessing they’ll all be on the November ballot, right?
Follow-up: Write-ins Tristan Israel, Doug Ruskin, and Jim Klingensmith will all be on the general election ballot for Dukes County Commission. Write-ins have to get at least 25 votes to qualify, and they all did.
Unbelievable how low voter turnout was. For the record, If you don’t vote, you can’t complain
For a primary the turnout wasn’t bad. If you want to see pathetic turnout figures, check out town elections in the spring.
I think anything less than 80% voter turnout at any election in a representative democracy/republic is an embarrassment. I certainly agree non-voters can’t complain. If we want our governmental bodies to act based on our perspectives, we have to show up. Just this week the MVC held 2 public hearings on significant projects and no one commented, yet folks will often complain loudly when they see the result of their non-participation. With or without high turnout, the populace gets the government it deserves; unfortunately with low turnout the voters might be ignored.
True
Don’t forget about the mail ins.
I believe that was why less people were there to vote.
My vote counted for Ogden, plus I knew the OB Monument would come back to haunt Blake.
You really think Blake’s loss had something to do with the OB Monument?
Jim, FYI after reading the first three sentences of the interesting, well written article that thought did briefly pass by my mind. Just figured it did not help him.
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