Election 2019: The latest on Wareham’s candidates

Jan 7, 2019

With 10 open seats, there will be several contested races in Wareham this April.

The town election will take place on Tuesday, April 2, and last day to register to vote set for Wednesday, March 13, until 8 p.m. in the Town Clerk’s office. The race for Board of Selectmen features two incumbents this year, both running for reelection, as well as one newcomer, so far. 

The School Committee race features three candidates, one seeking reelection and two competing for a seat that was vacated in December. A department assistant and Marion town employee will both be competing for the title of Town Clerk following the retirement announcement of Mary Anne Silva last fall.

Here is the latest information on the election ballot. This will be updated as new information becomes available. 

Board of Selectmen

Two Selectmen are up for reelection this year. Selectman Patrick Tropeano and Selectman Anthony Scarsciotti will both seek reelection to three-year seats on the board.

Tropeano was the first to pull nomination papers on Jan. 7. This would be his third term as a Selectman.

Tropeano has also served on multiple town committees, including the Finance Committee for six and a half years.

“I bring a lot of institutional knowledge to the table, and I feel the town has benefitted from that,” Tropeano said. “If the people will have me, I want to continue to try and do what’s best for Wareham. I think we’re far better off now than we ever were before.”

Scarsciotti said he would also look forward to continuing his service to Wareham. This would be his second term with the Board of Selectmen if elected.

So far, James Munise, a former member of the Wareham Land Trust, has also pulled nomination papers. 

School Committee

There are two seats available on the Wareham School Committee in the April 2 town election with four candidates seeking spots on the board.

Mary Morgan, who joined the School Committee in 2016, will run for reelection to a three-year term and is opposed by former School Committee member Geoff Swett.

Swett, who formerly served on the School Committee from 2005 to 2018, lost his reelection bid last April.

Jennifer Bailey, of Crab Cove Terrace, and Apryl Rossi, a coordinator for the Wareham Tigers Athletic Association, are both running for a two-year seat on the School Committee left vacant this December by Rebekah Pratt. Pratt resigned from the School Committee abruptly, citing her family’s move to Carver.

Town Moderator

Claire Smith, who’s seat as Town Moderator is up for a three-year term, will run for reelection and is currently unopposed. Smith has served as Town Moderator in Wareham for nine years.

Town Clerk

Town Clerk department assistant Jenna Deane and Marion town employee Michele Bissonnette are both running for the Town Clerk position left vacant Mary Ann Silva, who announced her retirement at Fall Town Meeting.

Bissonnette is currently an administrative assistant in Marion’s treasurer/collector office and also worked as assistant town clerk in Marion.

Housing Authority

There is one seat on the Wareham Housing Authority up for election which belongs to incumbent Jean Connaughton.

Connaughton pulled nomination papers in late January.

Jodie Santagate, another member of the Wareham Tigers Athletic Association, has also pulled papers for this seat.

Sewer Commission

Incumbent Sewer User Commissioner Peter Dunlop is running for his three-year seat on the commission and is unopposed at this time. 

Assessor

Roxanne Barboza, who’s seat is open for a three-year term, will not run for reelection to the Board of Assessors since her move out of town.

No candidates have yet pulled papers for this position.