Voters sent a strong message on Tuesday, with Democrats flipping seats across the country and easily returning the state's Democratic leadership to office. 

 

The Berkshire delegation cruised to victory with no opposition; U.S. Rep. Richard Neal was returned to Congress to represent the 1st Mass District for a 20th term, defeating independent Nadia Milleron a second time. 

 

The Associated Press called the gubernatorial race for Maura Healey and Kim Driscoll a minute after the polls closed — and with zero precincts reporting.   

 

Healey was leading Republican Michael Minogue by 2 to 1 with 20 percent reporting about 10:30 p.m. Independent Andrea James was a distant third with less than 4 percent. 

 

U.S. Sen. Edward Markey will also return to the Capitol, with Republican challenger John Deaton conceding. By 10:30, Markey was leading 67 percent to Deaton's 28. Trailing were Joe Tache of the Socialist Labor Part and independent Shiva Ayyadurai with less than 3 percent each. 

 

Voting reports were coming in very slowly on Tuesday night. We'll do a more in-depth review on Wednesday of how the Berkshires voted. 

 

The only local race was for the Mount Greylock School Committee. In this case, voters had to write in the candidates names and addresses because a ballot error left the names off. It's expected to take time for a handcount in both Williamstown and Lanesborough so the results may not be confirmed until very late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. 

 

For ballot measures, the questions on expanding public records law, collective bargaining for public defenders, same-day voter registration, a natural resource fund, single-family zoning and sustaining the 2024 gun law were all leading on "yes."

 

Getting "no" votes were questions on all-party primaries, a tax cap on state revenue collections, and repealing legal marijuana.  

 

These results were with 25 percent of precincts reporting. 

 

In the Bay State's neighbors, New York Gov. Kathleen Hochul, a Democrat, was elected to another term and Republican Phil Scott appeared to have secured another term as governor against Democrat Amanda Janoo. A close U.S. Senate race between incumbent Republican Susan Collins and Democrat Troy Jackson was still too close to call. 

 

Overall, Democrats will take control of the U.S. House in January, which will likely put Neal back in the chair's seat of the Ways & Means Committee. Democrats are also predicted to take control of the U.S. Senate.