Update 11:00 p.m.

Well, the votes are in and Tom Bowler and Gailanne Cariddi are the big winners so far tonight. In the 2nd Berkshire District, Michael Case beat out Rosanne Frieri for the Republican nomination but we here it's still neck and neck in the Democratic primary between Tom Szczepaniak and Paul Mark. The Berkshire Eagle called the race for Szczepaniak at 10 p.m. but an hour later PCTV said Mark was in the lead by 6 percent.

Update: 7:38 p.m.

The North County towns are reporting at least 30 percent turnout. In Adams, some 1,874 had voted by 6 p.m. with 33 percent turnout at the town's DPW garage. The town has 5,634 registered voters.

This was the first election for new Town Clerk Haley Meczywor, who described the experience as "interesting." "You really don't know what's going on [in an election] until you've been here all day," she said. "It's been really interesting."

Clarksburg had a 37 percent turnout at 7:20, with 409 voting out of about 1,119 registered voters. Cheshire had a 32.5 percent turnout shortly before 7, with 1,874 ballots cast out of 5,634 voters. Cheshire, in the 2nd District, had primaries for both Democrats and Republicans. We're told few Republican ballots were selected.

Update 4:59 p.m.

We're getting a late start with election news today but we can tell you that voting is steady in the three biggest North County towns. In North Adams, nearly 2,000 had already cast votes with three hours left. Poll workers at St. Elizabeth's Parish Center, site of voting for Wards 1, 2 and 5, said the turnout has been steady since early this morning.

Last year's hotly contested mayoral election in the city saw more than 5,200 votes cast; that compares to just under 4,000 for the special Senate election that featured native daughter Martha Coakley.

"We vote whenever there's an election," said Donna LaValley-Leary of Ward 5.

We ran into David Bissaillon outside the North Adams polling station. The Adams resident is running for 1st Berkshire District and said he had a good feeling about the voting so far.

The former chamber president said he'd spent four or five hours in the hilltowns and in Franklin and Hampshire counties this morning. "I wanted to get to them and spend some time there," he said, adding that it was quiet at the polling stations but he expected things to pick up later in the day.

He was more pleased with a heavy turnout in Adams and Williamstown.

"I think it will be a strong turnout ... whatever happens, we'll all be smiling at the Bounti-Fare later."

Dan Bosley, the man whose shoes Bissiallon is trying to fill, was headed back to his office. He too was pleased with the turnout in his stamping grounds. Turnout will be critical factor in the race for sheriff, with Pittsfield native Tom Bowler expected to do well in his hometown. However, the county's biggest city has no other races on the ballot to draw voters out.

The mayoral election last year drew 13,215 votes, or around 46 percent; a similar number voted in the special Senate election. Pittsfield's primary last September drew fewer voters, but still nearly 8,000 for a 28 percent turnout.

	Berkshire County Sheriff
	Thomas N. Bowler	Daniel E. Bosley

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — It's decision time in Berkshire County, especially for two elected positions.

On Tuesday, voters in North County and parts of Franklin and Hampshire will determine their state representative for the next two years in the Democratic primary. Barring a last-minute write-in for November, the Democratic winner of the 1st Berkshire District primary on Tuesday will sail to a predetermined victory.

The same goes for Berkshire County sheriff, where two Democrats are facing off for the six-year position. The last occupant of the office, Carmen C. Massimiano, quietly held onto the powerful political spot for 32 years. He hadn't been challenged since 1980 until Thomas N. Bowler announced his intention to run. Massimiano decided to retire and soon after Daniel E. Bosley, another powerhouse Democrat and dean of the Berkshire delegation at the State House, tossed his hat in the ring.

In the 1st District, three Democrats are vying to step into the shoes of Bosley, who's been representing North County and outlying towns for 24 years. Gailanne Cariddi has been city councilor in North Adams for 20 years and has consistently been among top vote-getters in city elections; Edward MacDonald is currently town administrator for Chester, in the 4th District, but hails from Adams, where he served a term as selectman; and David Bissaillon, also of Adams, is a vice president with Coakley, Pierpan, Dolan & Collins and former president of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce.

Voters the 2nd Berkshire District, which cuts a large swath across the county and includes towns in Franklin and Hampshire, will select nominations in both Republican and Democratic primaries to face off against independent Stefan G. Racz of Buckland in November.

On the Democratic ballot are Thomas S. Szczepaniak, a three-term Dalton selectman and owner of Variety Trucking; Noreen P. Suriner, a retired Episcopal, former teacher and Middlefield selectwoman; and Paul W. Mark of Hancock, a Verizon technician and labor attorney with strong roots in local union activities. On the Republican side are military veterans Michael Case, a retired Pittsfield Police officer and Guardsman who served in combat areas, and Rosanne M. Frieri of Richmond, Pittsfield's veterans service agent and staff sergeant in the Air National Guard.

Also on Tuesday's ballot are nominations for state auditor. In the Democratic camp are Great Barrington resident Suzanne M. Bump, Guy William Glodis of Auburn and Mike Lake of Boston; the Republicans are fielding Mary Z. Connaughton of Framingham and Kamal Jain of Lowell. There also is a race for the Democratic nomination for state treasurer between Steven Grossman of Newton and Stephen J. Murphy of Boston.

More information on the candidates, including letters, articles and statements can be found on the blog or go directly to their websites through the links on the sidebar. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; find your voting location here.

Check the blog later today for update on voting and election news. You'll have the results from the major communities as soon as we do. Check on on Twitter at @iberkshires or our Facebook page and send info to us the same way. Editor Tammy Daniels will join Richard Taskin and Paul Hopkins at Northern Berkshire Community Television at 7 p.m. You can also follow our partners on the Berkshire News Network at WSBS, WBEC and WNAW for election coverage.

Get out the vote!

	1st Berkshire District
	David R. Bissaillon	Gailanne M. Cariddi	Edward MacDonald

	2nd Berkshire District / Democrat
	Paul W. Mark	Noreen M. Suriner	Thomas S. Szczepaniak

	2nd Berkshire District / Republican
	Michael F. Case	Rosanne M. Frieri

DALTON, Mass. — Dan Valenti, a local columnist and commentator, recently endorsed Tom Szczepaniak for state representative from the 2nd Berkshire District in "Planet Valenti," a column he writes for The Pittsfield Gazette.

In his column, Valenti writes:

If this election is about Szczepaniak's past, he wins. He withstood the anonymous attacks against his wayward youth with honesty and dignity. If anything, his checkered past signals character and integrity. You don't come back from the bottom unless those words mean more to you than bumper-sticker slogans. The indications point to the Mark campaign for sending the media the anonymous stink bombs on his opponent's legal past. Mark denies the charge. Nonetheless, they came from someone. Mark resembles Col. Mustard in the library with the candlestick. Beyond attacking Szczepaniak, Mark has offered voters little except to fetch water for the large public employee unions. Suriner, a Middlefield selectwoman and retired Episcopal priest, is not ready to move out of the lower minors of backwater local politics. Suriner, who would be eaten up in Boston, may use her loss as meditation fodder for evening vespers. The Planet endorses Szczepaniak.

SHELBURNE FALLS, Mass. — State Sen. Stan Rosenberg has endorsed Paul Mark, candidate for state representative in Tuesday's Democratic primary for the 2nd Berkshire district.

"Paul is a hard-working, intelligent person from a working-class background who would make a fine state representative," said Rosenberg. He said Mark has the energy to represent his sprawling district — the largest in the state. Rosenberg also commended Mark for
his understanding of the issues that face his rural district, from regional school district funding to innovation in agriculture and energy.

"As a fellow graduate of UMass-Amherst, Paul shares my dedication for supporting higher education," Rosenberg said, "and it's reflected in his endorsements from various educator groups."

Mark received his master's in labor studies from the university, along with a doctorate in law and policy from Northeastern University. "He's clearly got the right qualifications for the job," Rosenberg added.

"I'm excited to have the support of Senator Rosenberg, and I believe we would be natural allies in crafting policy that will benefit our shared districts," said Mark upon receiving the endorsement. "I especially aspire to mirror his advocacy on behalf of farmers in the State House."

Current Rep. Denis Guyer is vacating the seat for the 2nd Berkshire District, which shares many towns with Rosenberg's Franklin-Hampshire Senate district.
 

DALTON, Mass. — Paul Mark, Democratic candidate for state representative in the 2nd Berkshire District, has proposed a pair of initiatives aimed at drawing greater attention to Western Mass and providing highly personalized constituent services.

The first is Mark's "Better Know A District" initiative, in which he vows to invite eastern Massachusetts legislators to his district during his first term. Mark contends that, rather than simply exclaiming that eastern Massachusetts forgets about the western part of the state, "I will be proactive about educating my Statehouse colleagues about our way of life."

Mark has indicated several places he wishes to host colleagues to discuss the district's often-forgotten needs, including: farms throughout the district, Crane Paper Company in Dalton,  tourist attractions in Shelburne Falls, the Schell Bridge in Northfield and meetings with local school officials to examine regional school concerns.

“For example, when it comes time to reauthorize the Dairy Farm Revitalization Act, I’ll be able to remind my colleagues about the time they visited a dairy farm with me.”

Paul Mark's other proposed program is his "Constituent Canvass" which he will run next summer, if elected. Mark has said he will canvass door-to-door and "bring his office straight to the voters." Given the size of his rural district – the largest in the state – Mark feels that
having one single district office is inadequate to serve constituents. "No matter where a district office might be placed, it would still take other constituents at least an hour to drive there," Mark
contends.

"Holding roving office hours throughout the district makes sense in the winter," said campaign spokesperson Steve Hoeschele, "but in the warmer months, Paul wants to provide superior constituent service at the door, in addition to holding roving office hours. This would help
reach out to people who might be shy or unsure of the process of talking with public officials."

"On campaigns, the candidates are always asking voters for help: asking for votes, to put up lawn signs, to contribute money. But if I'm elected as state rep, I want to show up at constituents' doors and ask them how I can help them." Mark will hire an aide with the
intention of performing such outreach as well.

Mark chalks up his "Constituent Canvass" idea to his dedication to being present in all parts of his district. "I'm very used to putting in long hours and driving, so this large district is absolutely cut out for me," he said. Mark commuted from Hancock on the New York border to Amherst and Boston to earn his college degrees, while working full time.

"I'm not going to rest easy if I get elected," Mark added. "That's when the real work starts."