Joseph Biden and Donald Trump widened their leads in the presidential nomination races on March 5, and voters in both Massachusetts as a whole, and the southern Hilltowns in particular, placed themselves firmly in the front-runners’ corners.
Both major-party candidates in the 2020 presidential election cruised to wide victories in the 2024 “Super Tuesday” vote. Biden, the incumbent president, took 83% of the vote in the statewide Democratic primary, and better than that locally. Trump, the former president, captured 60% of the statewide Republican vote, and even better, generally above 70%, in the towns west of Westfield.
Republican Nikki Haley’s 37% statewide result in Massachusetts was among her stronger results of the day, which saw presidential primary elections in 15 states from Alaska to Virginia. She won only one of those contests, with 49.9% of the vote in Vermont. In the wake of a disappointing Super Tuesday, Haley dropped out of the race the next day.
The other five candidates on GOP ballots, all of whom had dropped out of the race before voting began, got only a smattering of votes — in some towns, none at all. The showings of 1% or less for Ryan Binkley, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Asa Hutchinson and Vivek Ramaswamy were consistent with Massachusetts’ statewide results. Voters could also choose “no preference.” In the list below, candidates not mentioned in a town’s totals received no votes in that town.
- Blandford: Trump 148, Haley 44, no preference 2, and Christie and DeSantis 1 each.
- Chester: Trump 120, Haley 47, no preference 2, Christie 1.
- Granville: Trump 177, Haley 75, Christie 5, DeSantis 2, Ramaswamy 1.
- Huntington: Trump 167, Haley 59, and Christie, Ramaswamy and no preference 1 each.
- Montgomery: Trump 97, Haley 32, no preference 2, Binkley 1.
- Otis: Trump 86, Haley 72, no preference 3, and Christie and Ramaswamy 1 each.
- Russell: Trump 142, Haley 52, no preference 3, and Christie, DeSantis and Ramaswamy 1 each.
- Tolland: Trump 55, Haley 21, and Binkley, DeSantis and no preference 1 each.
Two challengers to Biden, Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson, made little impact, with shares under 5% in the statewide race and similarly low totals locally. In many communities, “no preference” was the second-highest finisher.
- Blandford: Biden 81, no preference 6, and Phillips and Williamson 2 each.
- Chester: Biden 61, Williamson 6, Phillips 5, no preference 2.
- Granville: Biden 78, no preference 7, Phillips 3, Williamson 2.
- Huntington: Biden 135, no preference 16, Williamson 9, Phillips 2.
- Montgomery: Biden 50, no preference 4, and Phillips and Williamson 1 each.
- Otis: Biden 137, no preference 12, Williamson 6, Phillips 1.
- Russell: Biden 68, Williamson 5, Phillips 4, no preference 3.
- Tolland: Biden 25, Williamson 2, no preference 1, Phillips none.
- The primary election for U.S. representative, state senator, state representative and several other elected regional offices is Sept. 3. The general election is Nov. 5.