Swampscott selects as its man Spellios

SWAMPSCOTT – A strong campaign organization and get-out-the-vote effort propelled Peter Spellios over incumbent selectman Glenn Kessler in an election where a quarter of Swampscott registered voters headed to the polls.”I think this room is symbolic of the whole election,” Spellios said Tuesday night at a campaign party at Paradiso Ristorante, after the results were tallied. “Every side of the town has been involved, and have all come together because they want to see Swampscott do things in better ways and be better.”A quarter of Swampscott’s 9,876 registered voters cast ballots Tuesday in an election that had three contested seats.Marianne Speranza-Hartmann defeated Sarah D. Pruett by a roughly 2-to-1 margin for a spot on the Board of Health, accruing 1,338 votes to Pruett’s 672. Speranza-Hartmann, the middle school nurse, said it was the second time she had run for a spot on the board, having narrowly lost a race for a seat roughly a decade earlier. But she credited her position on the School Committee from 2011 to 2014 as giving her good name recognition in the town. She also said she was glad to represent Precinct 1, which includes many of the condominiums near Vinnin Square and the neighborhoods off Essex Street near East Lynn.”I think it’s good for someone from the precinct to be involved,” Speranza-Hartmann said. “It often feels like as a voter that we aren’t represented in that precinct.”Newcomer Bill Quinn defeated incumbent Jeffrey Blonder 1,122 to 906 for a spot on the Planning Board.”I thank Mr. Blonder for a fair race and his years of service,” Quinn said after tallying the results posted at Town Hall. “I look forward to serving the town to the best of my ability.”The biggest contest of the night saw Spellios defeat Kessler by a tally of 1,407 to 987, winning in five of six precincts.The two candidates proposed vastly different leadership strategies during the campaign. Spellios advocated that a selectman be an advocate and leader for important town issues, shepherding municipal projects through to completion. Kessler emphasized his willingness to listen, repeatedly stressing that Town Meeting was the decision-making body in Swampscott.”Glenn did a lot of great things during his three years as selectman and I hope I can continue those great things,” Spellios said. “I really appreciate his service and dedication of the last three years.”All of the contested seats are three-year terms.Voters also returned Joseph Markarian to his role as town moderator and Linda Paster to her seat on the Board of Assessors. Ted Delano was re-elected to a second three-year term on the School Committee. John Karwowski returns to his seat as a Public Library Trustee; and Barbara Eldridge returns to her seat on the Housing Authority.