The difference is the timing of the primary.
I don't think so. Drumpf nearly got 50% in MA while also getting mid-30's in all of upper New England, including 33% in VT on the same day. Maine is a caucus so unfortunately its not representative of the Republican electorate, but in New Hampshire I'm confident most of that Rubio and Bush vote would've gone to Kasich as a second choice. MA went to Clinton by one point just a few weeks after losing NH by 22 points.
Lower New England is the more statist part definitely, and the Democrats are definitely more liberal. Sans a few wedge issues, the two parties in UNE are basically androgynous. Quite centrist, love bipartisanship. UNE is also a lot more libertarian that SNE. You'll see a lot more survivalists and tough guys in UNE since it is marginally colder and more wild there, but the overarching culture of the overall region is felt all throughout.
If upper New England is centrist, why did it go for the democratic socialist?
By centrist I should have put "sensible." We can smell BS a mile away
