Jones scores easy win; May wins Peabody, loses to Kerans
By Elyse Carmosino and Thor Jourgensen
DANVERS — Danvers resident Sally P. Kerans won her hometown by a landslide in a victory over Republican Robert E. May of Peabody with a final tally of 7,993-4,605, to send her back to the Massachusetts House of Representatives where she represented the 13th Essex District in the 1990s.
Kerans, a Democrat, faced off against three other Danvers candidates and Peabody first-time candidate and Republican Robert May who won city precincts in Peabody, 2,383 to 1,209.
“I’m very pleased and gratified that people agreed with our message of sending someone to Beacon Hill who will be a good, strong advocate for our communities to deal with COVID, transportation, education, climate, and all of these very important issues,” Kerans said. “I’m looking forward to using my experience to get at them and make progress on them.”
Peabody residents picked Joe Biden over Donald Trump in presidential balloting, 16,826-12,688 and Lynnfield voted for Biden (4,162) over Trump (3,949).
In Peabody Ward 5, Kerans received 612 votes and May received 699. In Ward 6, Kerans received 697 votes and May got 985 votes.
The three other candidates were William J. Bates, Jason Guida and Chris Keohane. The Danvers seat came into contention after long-time state Rep. Theodore Speliotos announced he would retire in January, 2021.
The 13th Essex District includes Danvers, parts of Middleton, and parts of Peabody.
Kerans served in the Massachusetts House from 1991 to 1997.
May’s first run for office also saw him win Middleton 1,361-1,059. The three other candidates on the ballot received about 400 votes there.
State Rep. Bradley H. Jones Jr., top Republican in the Massachusetts House, easily beat back a challenge from North Reading Democrat Michelle Mullet.
North Reading resident Jones won the town 6,335-2,948 and won Reading 4,285-3,070. Jones received 1,665 votes to Mullet’s 977 in Middleton and he won all four Lynnfield precincts 5,117-2,748.
First elected to the House of Representatives in 1994, Jones has served as House Minority Leader since 2003.
“It is an honor and a privilege to represent the residents of the Twentieth Middlesex District,” said Jones. “I am forever grateful for the support of my constituents from North Reading, Lynnfield, Reading and Middleton, and I look forward to continuing to work on their behalf and making sure their voices are heard on Beacon Hill.”
With an endorsement from U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, Mullet championed the Green New Deal. A journalist, Mullet described herself in campaign literature as “a mom, a writer, an environmental advocate and an active member of the North Reading
community, where she and her husband are raising their two children.”