Annual town election to feature multiple contested races

After going a year without any contested races, Canton voters can again look forward to having some options on the ballot with a number of newcomers stepping up to challenge for elected office this spring.

With Valentine’s Day (February 14) marking the deadline to certify nominations, the field is now officially set for the 2023 town election, and it’s a fairly robust one, headlined by contested races for Select Board, School Committee, and Library Board of Trustees.

The latter race is arguably the biggest surprise, with five people declaring their candidacy for three open seats. That group includes all three incumbents, Betty Chelmow, George Comeau and Susan Cogliano, along with two challengers, John Foley and Mindy Milman.

The race for Select Board — the one office that has consistently produced challengers in recent election seasons — will feature a three-way battle this year for two available seats with incumbent Lisa Lopez running for a second term alongside two first-time candidates: John McCourt, a current member of the Zoning Board and Playground & Recreation Commission, and Chris Albert, a longtime Canton business owner.

The other Select Board incumbent, Chris Connolly, opted not to run again this year after serving for two consecutive three-year terms.

It is a similar story on the Canton School Committee, where one incumbent, Laura Arboleda, has announced her candidacy for reelection and the other, Nichola Gallagher, has chosen to sit this one out. Stepping up to challenge for a seat in her place are two other first-time candidates, Rachael Wallace and Kimberly McCourt.

The remaining offices on the 2023 ballot will be filled by incumbents running unopposed. They include Gene Manning (Board of Assessors), Dr. Julie Goodman (Board of Health), Patricia McDermott (Planning Board), and Adam Brothers (Housing Authority).

The 2023 town election will take place on Tuesday, April 4, with an option available for voting by mail. For additional information about the election, including a precinct map, polling locations, and relevant deadlines, visit town.canton.ma.us/259/Town-Clerk or call the Town Clerk’s Office at 781-821-5013.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Feb 17 2023. Filed under News, Town Election, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.