Staff Reports On: 10:00PM / Tuesday March 06, 2012
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The presidential primaries didn't spark much attention in Berkshire County, with low turnout reported across the region as well as the state. The results weren't the least bit surprising, with Mitt Romney leading the Republicans to win his state.
In North Adams, only 579 votes were cast out of 8,717 registered voters, less than 7 percent. The big winner was the one candidate who had no primary challenger: Barack Obama. The Democratic incumbent won 276 votes.
With more than half the city's voters unenrolled, there was a chance for a more competitive Republican nomination race. That didn't happen. Romney, the state's former governor whose appearance in the far west was rare, did score 140 votes, far outpacing the field.
Rick Santorum got 68 votes, Ron Paul 33 and Newt Gingrich 26. The Green/Rainbow Party polled a paltry two votes: one each for Jill Stein of Lexingtona and one for Harley Mikkelson of Michigan.
Adams had better turnout, with just a little more than 10 percent of the town's 5,437 of voters going to the polls. Out of 544 ballots cast, nearly half went to the Democratic nominee. Obama scored 268 votes, with Romney picking up 118, Santorum 52, Paul 36, and Gingrich 27.
In Williamstown, the polls were a lot busier, with 596 votes cast. Obama, big winner again with 367; Romney had 132. The rest came in at Santorum 39, Paul 37, Gingrich 18. Stein took 3 votes for the Green/Rainbow nomination.
Oddly, the results weren't terribly different across the three communities. Even the Republican stragglers placed in order.
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The cities of Pittsfield and North Adams will hold municipal elections for mayor, city council and school committee in 2015
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