By Chris Cassidy
Democrat Martha Coakley swept to victory in the Massachusetts Senate primary last night with a decisive showing throughout the state and across the North Shore.
Coakley won with 47 percent of the statewide vote last night, easily defeating Rep. Michael Capuano, City Year co-founder Alan Khazei and Boston Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca.
On the North Shore, Coakley finished first in every community, from Salem and Beverly to Wenham and Boxford.
"I'm elated for her and for the type of campaign she ran," said Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, an early Coakley supporter. "She really stuck to her message and was very consistent throughout the campaign. I think that's why people voted for her."
Driscoll had spent the last few weeks campaigning for Coakley, including making get-out-the-vote calls yesterday. Coakley also enjoyed widespread support from other North Shore politicians, including several state representatives.
"I want to thank all of you and the thousands of others across this great commonwealth, from the Berkshires to Boston, from Peabody to Provincetown, who worked so hard these past months to achieve this victory," Coakley said during her acceptance speech last night.
In the Republican primary, state Sen. Scott Brown easily defeated attorney Jack E. Robinson.
Brown and Coakley will face off in a general election Jan. 19 to succeed the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.
Voters — when they showed up — overwhelmingly backed Coakley in yesterday's primary.
Patricia McLean of Danvers voted for Coakley, in part, because of her conviction in deciding to run.
"She was the first candidate," McLean said. "She didn't wait to see who else was running ... (or) if she'd be running against a Kennedy. She just did it."
Others were excited about the prospect of electing the state's first female senator.
"I was enthusiastic about voting for a woman," Jean Karam of Salem said. "And we're of similar age. It's kind of interesting to vote for someone I look at as a peer."
Coakley, however, will have to reach out to voters like Bob Stains of Danvers if she hopes to rally Democrats she didn't win over during the primary. Stains voted for Capuano because he felt he'd be the most willing to compromise on legislation to "get something instead of nothing."
"When Martha Coakley said she wouldn't vote for health care because of the abortion issue, that sort of counted her out of the race for me," Stains said. "I started looking much more seriously at Capuano at that point."
Charles Juliand of Danvers opted for Capuano and wasn't looking forward to a Coakley Senate victory.
"I really didn't like Martha Coakley," he said. "To be honest with you, if I thought Khazei had a chance, I probably would have voted for him. But I'm voting for the one I think has the best chance to beat Coakley."
Voter turnout across the state yesterday was woefully low. In Salem, about 24 percent of registered voters trickled to the polls.
Though the country is in the midst of two wars, a heated debate over health care reform and a major economic recession with a double-digit unemployment rate, the vast majority of North Shore residents yesterday never voted.
While some were simply ambivalent, others, such as Brian Swift of Danvers, just didn't like the choices.
Swift arrived at his polling location at Danvers High School yesterday, looked at his ballot and handed it back to poll workers — blank.
"I don't think there's anyone worth voting for," Swift said, "and I didn't want to sully the process. ... Listening to all their ads, (the candidates) are all exactly the same."
Rebecca Light-Sergott of Salem didn't make up her mind until she was handed her ballot at Bentley School last night. She voted for Capuano.
Meanwhile, Karam, the Salem Coakley supporter, was one of only 517 registered voters in her precinct to cast a ballot yesterday.
"I always vote," she said. "I just think it's a privilege and a responsibility."
Material from The Associated Press was used in this story.
Staff writer Chris Cassidy can be reached at ccassidy@salemnews.com.
