Town elections are coming up in Somerset, Swansea and Westport. Here are the candidates.
Town elections are coming up in Somerset, Swansea and Westport, with at least one contested race in each town. The deadline to submit nomination papers for local office has now passed in each town. Here are the candidates vying for office:
Somerset
Annual town election: Monday, April 10, from noon to 8 p.m., at Somerset Berkley Regional High School, 625 County St.
Deadline to register to vote in the town election: Friday, March 31.
There will be contested elections in Somerset for the Board of Selectmen, Somerset School Committee, Town Moderator and Water and Sewer Commission. Incumbent selectman Lorne Lawless returned papers to run for reelection, while Jamison Souza and Paul Healey are also running. Incumbent Robert Gaw, James Nasto, Linda Boisselle and Jennifer Ashley are running for two open seats on the Somerset School Committee. Current member Shauna Geary’s term expires this year, but she did not return papers to run again. Incumbent Lucia Casey and Jessica Machado are both running for Town Moderator. Incumbent Scott O’Brien is not seeking reelection to the Water and Sewer Commission, while Robert Lima and James Mello are both running for one open seat.
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Multiple incumbents are running for reelection unopposed. Michael Correia is running to be reelected to the Board of Assessors, Richard Fenstermaker to the Somerset/Berkley Regional School Committee, and Robert Camara to the Playground and Recreation Commission. Dolores Bence is running for another term as town clerk and Gary Simons is seeking another term on the Planning Board. Thomas Potter is looking to be elected to the Housing Authority after being appointed last year to fill an empty seat.
Incumbent Kim Forbes and newcomer Norbert Dionne are running for two available seats on the Trustees of the Public Library.
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Swansea
Annual town election: Monday, April 10, from noon to 8 p.m., at Joseph Case High School, 70 School St.
Deadline to register to vote in the town election: Friday, March 31.
The only contested election in Swansea will be for the School Committee. Incumbents Thomas Rodrigues, Jr. and Sonya Barbosa returned papers to run for two available seats, as did Frank Baptista.
There are several uncontested races. Incumbent Steven Kitchin was the only candidate to be certified to run for the Board of Selectmen, incumbent Timothy Cabral is running for Board of Assessor and Town Moderator Paul Burke is running for reelection. Incumbent Wayne Dias is running for Tree Warden and incumbent Scott Adams is running for a five year term on the Planning Board. Three candidates have been certified to run for three open positions on the Sewer Commission — James Pelletier, Paul Waple and Richard Cunha — and two are running for two open seats on the Board of Library Trustees: Angela Dolan and Maureen Pacheco, both incumbents.
Three town bodies — the Community Preservation Committee, a one-year term on the Planning Board and the Park Commission — will have an open seat in the upcoming election, but no candidates. Two candidates, Chad Rosen and Paul Waple, are in the running for three open constable seats.
Westport
Annual town election: Tuesday, April 11.
For the Board of Selectmen, incumbent Steve Ouellette along with Christopher Thrasher and Manuel Soares returned nomination papers to fill two open seats. Incumbent Brian Valcourt is not seeking reelection.
Three candidates returned papers to run for two positions for library trustees: Paul Cabral, incumbent Pauline Dooley and Paula Feitelberg.
Most of the elections in Westport will be uncontested, with only one nominee returning papers for an available office. These include: Peter McGarr running for the board of assessors, Donna Amaral running for the board of health, Evan Gendreau for the Westport School Committee, incumbent Paul Jennings running for the Diman Regional School Committee, incumbent Sean Leach running for fish commissioner, incumbent Wendy Henderson for the Board of Landing Commissioners and incumbent John Bullard for the Planning Board. Incumbents Marshall Ronco and Arthur Caesar returned papers to fill two available seats for constable.
There will be a newcomer in the Westport town clerk’s office. Incumbent Bernadette Oliver did not return papers to run again, while Kayleigh Vieira and current assistant town clerk Kristin Stinson both returned papers for that position.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Candidates file papers in Somerset, Swansea and Westport
