Massachusetts voters chose to stay the course and trust the momentum of Gov. Deval Patrick by electing the Democrat to a second term.
Patrick beat his top rival, Republican Charlie Baker, by 7 percent — about 148,000 votes — with 90 percent of the precincts reporting as of press time.
He fended off the anti-incumbent sentiment felt across the nation and reflected in the GOP taking control of the U.S. House.
“Tonight, Massachusetts chose to look up and forward not down and to the past,” he said in his speech at the Park Plaza Hotel. “So celebrate tonight. This victory is sweet indeed. But tomorrow each and everyone of us go back to work … [it’s] about lifting and modeling for a nation hungry for something positive to believe in; that we are once again the center, the leader for this country.”
In his concession speech from the House of Blues, Baker urged his supporters to get behind Patrick and also urged Patrick to adopt some of his proposals.
Despite the loss, he still seemed upbeat.
“One of my great disappointments in all this is of course is no more marching in parades for a while,” he quipped.
Patrick, known for his strong grassroots campaign, won with heavy support in Boston where he garnered about 70 percent of the vote.
Tadeu Szpoganicz, 27, of the South End, said outside his polling place yesterday that he voted for Patrick.
“I like what he’s done so far. We don’t need a change in office at this time. We need him to continue what he started,” he said.
