Seven councilors returned to seats in Barnstable, two lose bids for reelection

Heather McCarron and Steve Heaslip, Cape Cod Times
Updated ·3 min read

Editor's note: This story was updated on Nov. 8, 2023, to correct information about Town Council votes.

BARNSTABLE — Six new councilors are joining the town's top governing board following Tuesday's town election, according to unofficial results released just past 10:30 p.m.

All 13 Town Council members were up for election. Six of them faced challenges in their precincts, with four of them retaining their seats and two losing their bids for reelection.

While poll workers described a slow pace of voting throughout the morning and afternoon, by around 5 p.m. Town Clerk Ann Quirk reported a little more than 14% of the town's voters had turned out. That number, she said, "is higher than normal for our municipal, non-partisan election, which is a good thing."

By the time the voting was done, 18.6% of the town's 36,178 registered voters — a total of 6,738 — had visited their polling stations to cast ballots.

A Barnstable voter heads out into the afternoon sun on Tuesday after casting his ballot at precinct 2 at the St. Georges Greek Orthodox Church in Hyannis. All 13 seats on the Town Council were up for reelection, with six contested races.
A Barnstable voter heads out into the afternoon sun on Tuesday after casting his ballot at precinct 2 at the St. Georges Greek Orthodox Church in Hyannis. All 13 seats on the Town Council were up for reelection, with six contested races.

There were contests for Town Council in precincts 1, 2, 5, 6, 11 and 12, in addition to a contest between two newcomers for the precinct 9 seat. The precinct 9 race produced the closest results, with Charlie Bloom earning 100 votes and Michael Mecenas pulling in 99. The seat was previously held by Tracy Shaughnessy, who did not seek re-election.

It is not yet known if a recount may be sought for the razor-close race.

Three incumbents went unchallenged and were returned to office: Betty Ludtke (Precinct 3), Jeffrey Mendes (Precinct 8) and Matthew Levesque (Precinct 10).

Three newcomers were also unchallenged as they put in bids for seats left vacant by councilors either choosing not to seek re-election or who termed out. In Precinct 4, Craig Tamash takes over from Nikolas Atsalis, while Seth Burdick takes over from Jessica Rapp Grassetti in Precinct 7. Felicia Penn will represent Precinct 13, taking over from Jennifer Cullum.

Unseated from Town Council

Unseated from the Council were incumbents Eric Steinhilber in precinct 2, and Paul Cusack in precinct 5. Steinhilber, with 312, votes was bested by Kristin Terkelsen, who brought in 540 votes. Cusack lost his bid for reelection with 404 votes to challenger John Crow's 796. Crow was the Council election's top vote-getter.

In the other Council races, incumbent Gordon Starr in precinct 1 keeps his seat, with 528 votes to challenger Paul Gage's 229.

In precinct 6, incumbent Paul Neary brought in 337 votes. He was challenged by write-in candidate Paul Phalan. According to the unofficial results, there were 198 write-in votes submitted, though the results did not specify to whom the write-ins were given. The precinct had the most number of write-ins.

For precinct 11, incumbent Kristine Clark handily kept her seat with 545 votes to challenger Toby Leary's 416.

And in precinct 12, incumbent Paula Schnepp collected 339 votes to keep her seat, while her challenger, Kyle Condinho, brought in 262 votes.

School Committee, Housing Authority results

Also appearing on the ballot were postings for the Barnstable School Committee, but with no contests. Three candidates were on the ballot: Current Chairman Michael Judge and Vice Chairman Kathleen Bent were re-elected. They will be joined by Jennifer Cullum, who finishes serving as a councilor for precinct 13 after terming out of that position.

Two positions on the Housing Authority were also listed on the ballot, one of which had no official candidates. Incumbent Deborah Converse, who presently serves as treasurer, was reelected with 5,091 votes.

Michael Daley and Matt Lehman both conducted write-in campaigns for the other seat. According to the unofficial results, there were 503 write-ins submitted for Housing Authority, but as yet no indication of who was written in.

Heather McCarron can be reached at hmccarron@capecodonline.com, or follow her on X @HMcCarron_CCT.

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Precinct 11 poll worker Sherrie Scudder, left, keeps the check-in line moving as voters turned out at the West Barnstable Community Center to cast their ballots on Tuesday, Election Day in the town of Barnstable. Polls closed at 8 p.m.
Precinct 11 poll worker Sherrie Scudder, left, keeps the check-in line moving as voters turned out at the West Barnstable Community Center to cast their ballots on Tuesday, Election Day in the town of Barnstable. Polls closed at 8 p.m.
Stephen Smith and his wife Roberta arrived in style for the weather, avoiding a steady rain to cast their ballots for precinct 13 at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center on Election Day for the Town of Barnstable.
Stephen Smith and his wife Roberta arrived in style for the weather, avoiding a steady rain to cast their ballots for precinct 13 at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center on Election Day for the Town of Barnstable.
Mike Doumanian and his wife Jessie shared a booth as they had precinct 9 to themselves casting their ballots at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center on Election Day for the Town of Barnstable.
Mike Doumanian and his wife Jessie shared a booth as they had precinct 9 to themselves casting their ballots at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center on Election Day for the Town of Barnstable.
Dodging the raindrops right after the polls opened at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center on Election Day for the Town of Barnstable for voters in precincts 8,9, and 13.
Dodging the raindrops right after the polls opened at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center on Election Day for the Town of Barnstable for voters in precincts 8,9, and 13.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Barnstable voters keep seven Councilors, oust two. Here are results