This story will be updated as more towns in the 3rd Bristol and Plymouth District and the 2nd Plymouth District release their results. 

Middleboro voters made their voices heard in the State Primary Election on Tuesday, Sept. 3. 

Republican voters threw their support behind candidate John Gaskey for 2nd Plymouth District representative and Democrat voters supported candidate Joe Pacheco for 3rd Bristol and Plymouth District senator. 

Gaskey secured a win in the 2nd Plymouth District, receiving nearly 59% of the the republican vote. The 2nd Plymouth District includes Middleboro, Wareham and Carver. Gaskey saw support from just under 70.6% of Middleboro voters with 391 votes, beating out Incumbent Susan Williams Gifford, who received the support of the remaining 29.42% of republican votes. Numbers from several Middleboro precincts were not reported in this race. 

Gaskey is a 23-year veteran of the Coast Guard who has voiced his support for second amendment rights and pro-life policies, among other items. 

In the primary race for the 3rd Bristol and Plymouth district, Joe Pacheco had support from just under 70% of Middleboro voters. Pacheco beat Taunton City Councilor Barry Sanders, who received just over 30% of Middleboro’s democratic votes. 

The 3rd Bristol and Plymouth District includes Middleboro, Wareham, Marion, Taunton, Carver, Seekonk, Dighton, Rehoboth, Berkley and Raynham, the results for many of these towns was unknown as of 11 p.m. on Tuesday night. 

Joe Pacheco, who has served as member of the Raynham Select Board for 17 years, believes his experience working at the state level will be key to getting work done on Beacon Hill. His priorities include improving the state’s ability to protect its residents and closing the “loophole” that allowed Steward Healthcare to close without giving the state time to respond, he said.  

Pending the results of elections in other 3rd Bristol and Plymouth district municipalities, Pacheco will face Republican Taunton City Councilor Kelly Dooner and Independent candidate Jim DuPont in November. 

Middleboro residents came out to vote for a variety of reasons. Voter Gerard Milch called voting “a civil obligation.”

“Those people who don’t vote and want to complain, have no reason to complain,” he said. 

Lisa Matta’s reason for voting was “to get our state senators out,” she said. “I want republicans in there.” 

In Lakeville, voters had a much slower primary election. 

First Bristol and Plymouth Senator Michael Rodrigues ran unopposed in the Democratic Party Primary and received an unofficial count of 679 votes in Lakeville. He will run unopposed in the November General Election. 

Twelfth Bristol District Representative Norman Orrall ran unopposed in the Republican Party Primary and received an unofficial count of 641 votes in Lakeville and 405 votes in Middleboro. He will also run unopposed in the November General Election. 

Lakeville resident Christopher Plonka came out to the polls to “show support for our state representative Norman Orrall.” 

Cindy Dow made it to the polls to “support the few who were running,” because “you don’t have the right to complain if you don’t vote,” she noted.