Was Write-In Push A Plot To Oust A Republican Selectman?

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — Mary Stewart, wife of former Selectman Don Stewart, suggested a last-minute write-in campaign in last month's town election was a plot by the four Democratic members of the North Andover Board of Selectmen to oust Rosemary Smedile, the board's lone Republican. Calling it a "new low in North Andover politics," Stewart suggested one or more of the other members of the board were behind Julie Ross's write-in campaign, which was announced less than 24 hours before polls open. Smedile had been unopposed on the ballot and ended up winning her reelection bid with 75 percent of the vote.

"I think it was sneaky. I think it was underhanded," Stewart said. "I think if you want to run, fill out your papers and do it ahead of time and let everybody know."

Selectmen rejected the implications by Stewart, whose husband lost a reelection bid in 2017 in a five-way race for two seats. "No one on this board, to my knowledge, had anything to do with that," Chair Regina Kean said.

Just 7.9 percent of North Andover's registered voters showed up to vote on March 26, leading to speculation that Ross was trying to win the race by taking advantage of low voter turnout. Smedile won with 1,146 votes to Ross's 329. On Monday, she said she was "thankful and grateful" to be back on the board.

"I had people reaching out to me in the days afterward saying, 'I wasn’t planning on voting, but when I heard what was going on, I got right in my car'," she said.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).