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Incumbents John Gillis of Quincy and Francis O'Brien of Dedham were well on their way to winning new terms as Norfolk County commissioners last night, as they were handily defeating challengers Thomas Gorman of Dedham and Michael Walsh of Westwood.
With nearly 70 percent of precincts reporting across the county's 28 towns late Tuesday night, Gillis and O'Brien had pulled in 32.3 percent and 30.1 percent, respectively, according to the Associated Press. The candidates received 93,688 and 87,246 votes, respectively.
Gorman, a Republican, held a narrow lead for third place Tuesday night with 56,431 votes, or 19.5 percent. Walsh, an independent, was last with 52,337 votes, or 18.1 percent.
"We won by a landslide, so evidently the people of Norfolk County are very happy with the service that we have given them," O'Brien said.
While Gorman ran on a platform of abolishing county government, O'Brien said he is "very proud of the government of Norfolk County."
He called Norfolk County Agricultural High School in Walpole "the jewel of Norfolk County."
He said the county commissioners have improved the county's buildings and landscaping, and that 30,000 rounds of golf have been played at Presidents Golf Course in Quincy in 2008, bringing in a profit of $245,000.
The county, with a $34 million budget, oversees the golf course, the agricultural school, the sheriff's office and jail, and the Registry of Deeds. County courthouses in Dedham are owned by Norfolk County, but funded and run by the state.
In a separate, nonbinding ballot question of voters in the district of state Rep. Paul McMurtry, 70.3 percent said Tuesday that they did not want to abolish county government. The Democrat represents Dedham, Westwood and a precinct in Walpole.
O'Brien, 79, was appointed as an acting county commissioner in 2002, then elected to a full four-year term in 2004. Gillis, 83, meanwhile, was elected to his fifth term as commissioner last night.
The third commissioner on the board, Milton Democrat Peter Collins, defeated Gorman in 2006. He is midway through his third term.
Commissioners are paid $30,000 annually.
O'Brien said he was hurt by a Daily News Transcript editorial criticizing him and Gillis for not appearing at a campaign debate in Medfield Oct. 23. He did not participate because his sister and wife were ill, he said.
O'Brien said his sister, Catherine Spada, died from cancer Tuesday morning.
"Fran O'Brien never ducked a debate in my 40 years of public service. I tell it like it is," he said. "I never ducked away from an issue in my life, and I never will but my sister and my family comes first."
Incumbents John Gillis of Quincy and Francis O'Brien of Dedham were well on their way to winning new terms as Norfolk County commissioners last night, as they were handily defeating challengers Thomas Gorman of Dedham and Michael Walsh of Westwood.
With nearly 70 percent of precincts reporting across the county's 28 towns late Tuesday night, Gillis and O'Brien had pulled in 32.3 percent and 30.1 percent, respectively, according to the Associated Press. The candidates received 93,688 and 87,246 votes, respectively.
Gorman, a Republican, held a narrow lead for third place Tuesday night with 56,431 votes, or 19.5 percent. Walsh, an independent, was last with 52,337 votes, or 18.1 percent.
"We won by a landslide, so evidently the people of Norfolk County are very happy with the service that we have given them," O'Brien said.
While Gorman ran on a platform of abolishing county government, O'Brien said he is "very proud of the government of Norfolk County."
He called Norfolk County Agricultural High School in Walpole "the jewel of Norfolk County."
He said the county commissioners have improved the county's buildings and landscaping, and that 30,000 rounds of golf have been played at Presidents Golf Course in Quincy in 2008, bringing in a profit of $245,000.
The county, with a $34 million budget, oversees the golf course, the agricultural school, the sheriff's office and jail, and the Registry of Deeds. County courthouses in Dedham are owned by Norfolk County, but funded and run by the state.
In a separate, nonbinding ballot question of voters in the district of state Rep. Paul McMurtry, 70.3 percent said Tuesday that they did not want to abolish county government. The Democrat represents Dedham, Westwood and a precinct in Walpole.
O'Brien, 79, was appointed as an acting county commissioner in 2002, then elected to a full four-year term in 2004. Gillis, 83, meanwhile, was elected to his fifth term as commissioner last night.
The third commissioner on the board, Milton Democrat Peter Collins, defeated Gorman in 2006. He is midway through his third term.
Commissioners are paid $30,000 annually.
O'Brien said he was hurt by a Daily News Transcript editorial criticizing him and Gillis for not appearing at a campaign debate in Medfield Oct. 23. He did not participate because his sister and wife were ill, he said.
O'Brien said his sister, Catherine Spada, died from cancer Tuesday morning.
"Fran O'Brien never ducked a debate in my 40 years of public service. I tell it like it is," he said. "I never ducked away from an issue in my life, and I never will but my sister and my family comes first."
O'Brien said he would work in the new term to ensure that funding moves forward immediately for new courts in Dedham.
"That is my No. 1 priority, to make sure that we have a new court complex in the town of Dedham," he said.
Walsh, 46, attributed his loss in part to Massachusetts residents voting Democratic down the line. During the campaign, he said the main question he was asked was what county commissioners do.
"People know very little about county government, and apparently they voted to keep it that way for the next four years," said Walsh, who plans to run again.
One bright spot for Walsh was his sizable victory in his home base of Westwood.
"It feels good. At least I know that the people of Westwood support me," he said. "Next time maybe I'll grab more support and that will extend out into the district a bit more than just Westwood."
Both Gillis and Gorman, 53, could not be reached for comment last night.
Gillis said recently that he would push for $30 million in state funding to expand the agricultural high school, and would look for state approval to allow Norfolk County to borrow $3 million so it can construct a year-round function facility at Presidents Golf Course.
Daily News staff writer Edward B. Colby can be reached at 781-433-8336 or ecolby@cnc.com.
