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GOP’s a tough sell for this town
By Jacob Carozza
Globe Correspondent

RANDOLPH — In 1980, Ronald Reagan won Norfolk County and Massachusetts as a whole. He did it again in 1984. Both times, he won all seven towns and cities that border this mid-size community a dozen miles south of Boston.

But he never won Randolph. The town has supported the Democratic presidential ticket in every election going back to 1972.

And based on its primary results this past spring, Randolph is unlikely to break with tradition come November.

On Super Tuesday, 6,020 residents cast votes in the Democratic primary, dwarfing the 1,627 votes in the Republican primary. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump each won in their respective parties by healthy margins.

While some voters cite Randolph’s working-class roots as a reason for its strong Democratic tradition, the town’s diversity may also come into play.

Of Randolph’s approximately 33,000 residents, according to 2014 census data, 41 percent are black, 38 percent are white, and 11 percent are Asian. Seven percent count themselves as Hispanic or Latino.

The town’s median household income in 2014 was $63,259, a few thousand dollars under the statewide average. It’s a more affordable place to live than some of its neighbors — the average value of a single-family home is over $260,000 — attracting immigrants and those looking for proximity to Boston at a lower cost.

Jerial Richardson, 72, said he moved in June from Hyde Park to Randolph to take advantage of a Section 8 housing voucher given to him as a military veteran. He has always voted for Democrats, and he praised Clinton as someone who had the intelligence to run the country.

“Hillary knows what she’s talking about,’’ Richardson said. “Let the girls run it for four years, eight years.’’

Dolores Cordero, 49, lived in Randolph for five years after immigrating from Ecuador. Though she moved to Braintree last December, she said that Randolph was a welcoming place for a newcomer to the United States.

“It’s a quiet town,’’ she said. “It’s a very nice place. There are a lot of people from other places, from other countries.’’

Though Cordero said she’s not eligible to vote in this election, she feels strongly that Clinton is the better choice for the country.

“She’s professional,’’ Cordero said. “She knows about the problems of the USA. She’s a really smart person.’’

As for Trump? “He needs to learn too much,’’ Cordero said. “He is missing a lot of qualities.’’

But not everyone in Randolph is happy with Clinton. Though Patty Goldman has voted for Democrats for decades, this may be the year when the octogenarian bucks tradition.

“I’m still undecided,’’ Goldman said during a watercolor painting class at the town’s senior center late last month, adding that she’s a registered independent and was not leaning toward one candidate or the other.

Her indecision had more to do with Clinton than Trump. “I don’t feel that she’s that trustworthy,’’ Goldman said. “And when I watched her on the [first] debate, I thought she was a little sarcastic and kind of smirking about things. I don’t think that was appropriate.’’

But it’s a shirt Goldman says she owns that may sum up how her and others feel about this election: it says, “Nobody for President.’’

Matt Rocheleau of the Globe staff contributed. Jacob Carozza can be reached at jacob.carozza@globe.com.