New Selectmen, School Committee Member Elected

Although the story of the will likely be the unusually low voter turnout, several new faces made their way onto the town's School Committee and Board of Selectmen.

Perhaps the most watched election Monday night was that for the town's Board of Selectmen, where five incumbents squared off with newcomer Bret Murray, former selectman Harry C. Christensen and Cemetery Commission member Rose Ann Wheeler McCarthy. In the end, incumbent T. Michael Rockett was voted off of the board after serving just one term and Christensen and Murray were elected to fill the two available seats. All of the winners in the Selectmen's race will serve one-year terms.

After the results were posted at Abbot Hall late last night, Murray said he was speechless and applauded Rockett for the work he has done during his tenure with the board.

"I've never run before and I never thought that I would beat an incumbent," Murray said. "I'm very thankful and very happy with the results."

In the race for Municipal Light Commissioner, longstanding incumbent Charles O. Phillips breezed past challenger John W. Arata to secure another three-year term at the helm. 

The three candidates vying for two open seats on the town's School Committee shared similar viewpoints on almost all the issues at recently held debates, but in the end incumbent Richard S. Nohelty and newcomer Thomas F. Connolly easily defeated local businessman Barton Hyte. Nohelty and Connolly will now serve two-year terms on the committee.

Here is a look at how the races panned out precinct-by-precinct:

CONTESTED RACES:

SCHOOL COMMITTEE

UNCONTESTED RACES: