Gaskey, Markey, Minogue take Wareham

Voters chose the winner in most of the contested elections in the Sept. 1 primary. Wareham Republicans pushed John Gaskey over the edge, helping reelect him as the Republican nominee for state representative.

Wareham only had a 9.57% voter turnout race in the Sept. 1 primary.

Incumbent state Rep. John Gaskey held off Mark Townsend for the 2nd Plymouth District state representative Republican nomination.

Wareham Republicans cast 243 votes for Gaskey and 191 for Townsend. 

Gaskey will face the sole Democratic nominee, Sarah Hewins, in the November general election.

A Coast Guard veteran from Carver, Gaskey took the 2nd Plymouth seat in 2024 after he beat long-time state Rep. Susan Gifford of Wareham in the Republican primary and defeated Sarah Hewins in the general election.

While in the State House, Gaskey has branded himself as an “anti-establishment” conservative. He has been vocal in his opposition of the LGBTQ+ community and has admitted to leaning into culture war topics.

In early August, Kayla Churchill, a former aide of Gaskey’s, filed a lawsuit against him alleging that he sexually harassed her multiple times. Churchill described Gaskey as “a little creepy” in court filings and accused him of making inappropriate comments suggesting Churchill should have sex with him. 

Gaskey described the allegations as “entirely baseless, politically motivated, and false” in a statement and maintains that he is not guilty. He said that a State House investigation cleared him of wrongdoing in March.

Townsend, the Carver Select Board Chair, announced his campaign for the Republican nomination in January. He has based his campaign on having a “results-first agenda” and avoiding drama in state politics.

He said that the Legislature’s long process to dissolve the North Carver Water District inspired him to challenge Gaskey in the primary.

During his campaign, Townsend said he prioritizes supporting seniors and improving affordability. He also criticized the MBTA Communities Act, which mandates that towns the transit authority provides access to must provide a certain level of affordable housing.

Michael Minogue of South Hamilton handily defeated Brian Shortsleeve of Wellesley for the Republican nomination for governor. In Wareham, the same rang true, as 278 voters chose Minogue, and 181 voted for Shortsleeve.

Minogue, a billionaire medical device company executive, will face incumbent Democratic Governor Maura Healey in the November general election.

U.S. Senator Ed Markey fended off U.S. Representative Seth Moulton of Salem for the Democratic Senate nomination. Markey also took Wareham by a wide margin, receiving 1,020 votes to Moulton’s 509.

During the campaign, the 47-year-old Moulton tried to position himself as a younger alternative to the 80-year-old Markey, an established progressive who has served in the Senate since 2013.

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Bill Keating held his seat against progressive challenger Craig Swallow of New Bedford. Keating received 1,189 votes in Wareham, while Swallow received 303 votes. Keating has served in Congress since 2011.

The race for the Republican Plymouth County Commissioner nomination is still undecided. Sandra Wright of Bridgewater, the incumbent, won Wareham, totaling 194 votes. Former County Commissioner Anthony O’Brien, Sr. of Pembroke received 177 votes and Korey Welch of Rockland received 39.

Of 21,020 registered voters, 2,013 submitted ballots. 1,543 registered Democrats voted, and 470 registered Republicans voted.