NAHANT — As polls came to a close at 8 p.m. Wednesday, an unofficial tally of 702 to 133 (with seven write-in votes) declared Mark Cullinan the winner of the prematurely vacant seat on Nahant’s Board of Selectmen.
Cullinan faced off against competitor David Wilson during a nearly three-month-long special election campaign for vice-chair.
The position was previously held by Francis “Enzo” Barile, who left his post in October 2019, citing that he wanted to focus on his business and spend more time with family.
In a statement that announced his candidacy last October, Cullinan said:
“(Nahant) needs a leader who understands the many challenges the town faces, and who has the depth and breadth of experience to face these challenges head-on, in a collaborative and productive way.”
As a lifelong Nahanter, Cullinan once served as Town Administrator from 1995 to 2011 and previously worked as a senior project manager with Massachusetts’ Department of Environmental Management in the 1980s.
A tough competitor when it came to experience in community involvement, Wilson previously served on the Conservation Commission, the Board of Appeals, the Planning Board, and the School Committee. He has also worked nearly 40 years for Nahant’s cemetery department.
Because Barile left his seat before the end of his three-year term, Cullinan will only hold the position until the Selectmen’s next election in 2021, during which he will have the opportunity to re-run as part of the regular campaign cycle.
Wednesday’s special election marks the Town’s first since 2010 and comes in the wake of a special Town Meeting last November. Nahant’s annual town election will still be April 25.
As he stood outside Nahant Town Hall Wednesday morning, Cullinan said he was optimistic about the election’s outcome.
“I feel great,” he said. “I’m here with a lot of friends and I’m seeing a lot of support.”
Roz Puleo, who stood beside Cullinan as she held a sign urging other residents to cast their votes for him, said she thought Cullinan is “probably the best thing that’s happened to this town.”
Later that evening, after hearing what he called the “overwhelming” final tally, Cullinan said:
“I’m just really excited about the support I’ve received from the town … and I’d like to thank the people who worked so hard to help me.”
He added: “I look forward to governing.”
Cullinan will officially be sworn into his position at Thursday’s selectmen meeting at Nahant Town Hall.
