SWAMPSCOTT — In a local election that featured a paltry voter turnout, Linda Paster, chairwoman of the Board of Assessors, retained her seat in the only contested race on the ballot.
Paster, 63, defeated challenger Diane O’Brien, 55, in a tight race, 444 to 415.
Voter turnout was 9.5 percent. In comparison, last year’s local election had a 13 percent turnout.
Paster, who has served on the Board of Assessors for nine years, was elected to her fourth, three-year term. She has worked as a clerk in the building department at Town Hall since 2008, and has worked for the town since 1996. Before her current role, she worked in the assessing department.
“I’m happy for another term,” Paster said. “There’s always work to do. There’s always new things coming down so I’m happy about it. If I wasn’t going to be happy about winning, why run at all?”
Paster said she would focus on keeping clarity and ensuring public access in her upcoming term.
“I know Ms. O’Brien had a good campaign going and she’s well-known, and it was a fine process,” Paster said. “I’d like to thank everybody that did come out to vote, not necessarily for me or against me, but I’m happy people came out.”
O’Brien, an enrolled agent with the IRS, owns a tax practice in Somerville. She is on the For the Love of Swampscott board and is PTO treasurer for Swampscott Middle School.
O’Brien said the race was “democracy in its purest form.”
“(Thomas P.) Tip O’Neill said all politics is local,” she said. “I am so honored and grateful for the 415 residents that took the time to vote for me. Swampscott is an awesome place and I’ll find other ways to serve this community.”
Peter Spellios, a principal at Transom Real Estate in Boston, was re-elected for a second, three-year term on the Board of Selectmen with 670 votes.
Ted Delano, a Swampscott Police detective, was re-elected for a third, three-year term on the School Committee with 722 votes.
David Zucker, an attorney, was elected to his first, five-year term on Planning Board with 605 votes.
Tript Sembhi, a marketing coordinator and agent at Sagan Realtors, was elected to her first, three-year term as a Trustee of the Public Library with 648 votes. She was appointed in December after another trustee stepped down.
Marianne Hartmann was re-elected for a three-year term on Board of Health with 732 votes.
Richard Callahan was re-elected for a five-year term on the Housing Authority with 619 votes.
Michael McClung was re-elected for a third, one-year term as town moderator with 719 votes.
