SWAMPSCOTT — The town chose MaryEllen Fletcher and Catherine Phelan to fill the two open seats on the Select Board and Sean Regan to complete the Housing Authority Board in the annual election on Tuesday.
MaryEllen Fletcher received 1,212 votes, while Catherine Phelan secured the second seat on the Select Board with 1,013 votes. Kim Martin-Epstein finished the race with 880 votes.
All three first-time candidates were running for a three-year term on the Select Board.
Out of 11,959 voters registered for the election, 1,937 people cast their ballots at Swampscott High School to decide the two contested races. Thus, the turnout was about 16 percent, which is 3 percent lower than in 2021, but about the same as 2020.
Election Day went smoothly, said Jared LaLiberte, the new town clerk, who manned the polling location together with Michael Sullivan, the former interim town clerk and election consultant.
“We have had a pretty steady stream (of people) all day,” said LaLiberte.
They were in the Town Clerk’s office at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, LaLiberte said, and were hoping to finish tallying up the results before midnight.
Fletcher led the Select Board race in five out of six precincts. She spent the whole day until 8 p.m. at the bottom of the hill upon which the high school is built, holding her sign with a group of supporters.
“I am really happy today,” said Fletcher. “I think it’s really clear that the town has made a pretty serious statement.”
She believes Swampscott residents recognized that she has experience and integrity, Fletcher said.
“I really care about the town. Not saying that the other people didn’t care about the town. I just think we ran a good campaign,” said Fletcher, emphasizing that she felt an incredible amount of support.
Phelan campaigned near the high school with her supporters as well. She said she was overjoyed, humbled and honored by the results of the election.
“I am just floored at the amount of love and support that I received,” said Phelan. “And I’m excited to get to work.”
With Chair Polly Titcomb leaving the Select Board, Phelan said, her candidacy of a working mother with young children must have resonated with voters. She has also received positive feedback about the fact that she was not born and raised in Swampscott.
“That gives me a different perspective on things,” Phelan said.
She said she loves the community and plans to stay in Swampscott for a long time, but if things have been done a certain way for a long time, maybe it could be questioned and looked at differently, Phelan said.
Martin-Epstein congratulated Fletcher and Phelan.
“It was an honor to run with such hard-working and dedicated women,” she said. “I am looking forward to seeing the Select Board shine.”
Regan led the election results for the Housing Authority board with 53.75 percent or 1,039 votes, while his opponent Charlie Patsios received 33.21 percent or 642 votes.
“I am excited,” said Regan. “I am excited to get to work with the board. I think I can immediately offer some support to the executive director and the board to help continue to push their efforts forward.”
He thanked his wife and his children for putting up with his campaign endeavors and said that the result of the election has reaffirmed his family’s feelings about the Swampscott community. Regan said he believes his father’s story and his family’s gratitude for the opportunities public housing has given him made a big difference in connecting with a lot of residents.
Regan said he got to know Patsios throughout the process as well.
“I have such an admiration for him and his efforts to give back to the community,” he said.
Patsios in turn wished Regan good luck.
“I hope that he can truly work with the Authority to protect the most vulnerable Swampscott residents,” Patsios said.
