New Englanders went to the polls Tuesday and largely cast votes for Vice President Kamala Harris, though wins in other states propelled Donald Trump to the presidency.
The region traditionally goes Democratic in presidential elections, but at the state and local level, Republicans saw wins.
In New Hampshire, Republican Kelly Ayotte prevailed over Democrat Joyce Craig in what some saw as the most competitive governor's race in the country. Ayotte will succeed Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who declined to run for reelection and campaigned on her behalf.
Vermont’s Republican Gov. Phil Scott easily won reelection. The race for lieutenant governor was not called as of Wednesday afternoon, but Republican John Rodgers, a former Democrat, appears to have narrowly unseated incumbent Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, a progressive Democrat. In the Vermont Statehouse, Republicans picked up more seats than they have in more than a decade, putting a crack in the Democratic party’s veto-proof supermajority.
Maine is still waiting on the results of the tight race between Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Jared Golden and his Republican challenger Austin Theriault. Voters in that Maine district again selected Trump, giving him his only electoral college vote from New England.
With the results of local races still coming in, Republicans also look poised to keep or gain power in statehouses in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
New England incumbents keep their seats
When it comes to their representatives in Washington, New Englanders mostly elected to stay with the Democratic leaders they know.
Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts easily won her reelection.
Vermont Democrats Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Becca Balint also defeated their challengers by wide margins.
In Maine, Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree kept her seat, and Independent Sen. Angus King looked set to win as of Wednesday afternoon as well.
Connecticut’s competitive 5th Congressional District race ended with a win for incumbent Democratic Rep. Jahana Hayes, the first Black woman to represent Connecticut in Congress. Democrat Chris Murphy also won his third term in the U.S. Senate.
In Rhode Island, Democrats Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Reps. Gabriel Amo and Seth Magaziner all won reelection.
New Hampshire’s U.S. Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas won his fourth term in Congress. A political newcomer, Democrat Maggie Goodlander, will join him in Washington after succeeding in her first run for elected office. Goodlander is married to Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor to outgoing President Joe Biden.
Voters weigh in on ballot questions
New England voters were also making big decisions on issues ranging from standardized testing, to what ages judges should retire, to mail-in voting and whether to redesign a state flag.
Massachusetts voters approved more transparency in the state’s legislative process. They also voted to end the use of a standardized test known as MCAS as a graduation requirement. And they voted to give ride-hailing drivers the ability to form unions.
A measure to legalize natural psychedelics in the Bay State failed. Massachusetts voters also failed to pass a measure to raise wages for tipped workers.
Rhode Islanders decided against a constitutional convention, but authorized $343 million in new bonds to fund public projects.
The results aren’t finalized yet, but voters in New Hampshire appear to have voted to raise the required retirement age of judges from 70 to 75.
In Connecticut, voters approved a ballot question that could pave the way for lawmakers to allow for no-excuse voting by mail.
Maine voters appear to have rejected a plan to redesign the state’s flag. While the final results were not in by Wednesday afternoon on bond questions related to research and historic preservation, voters strongly approved a bond for recreational trails and limits on election spending.
Note: This story will be updated with more election results.
