Incumbents win all contested seats in town election

Town election has come to a close once more, with no new faces on any boards or committees following an incumbent sweep.

Sarah Corbitt and Judith Whiteside will remain on the Select Board, while Joyce Bacchiocchi and Kevin Brogioli will remain on the School Committee. All four will serve three-year terms.

Voters went to the polls Tuesday, May 5, to cast ballots for Select Board and School Committee, along with several uncontested races.

Corbitt and Whiteside ran against former Select Board member Jim Munise. Munise served on the board in 2019 and is currently a member of the Wareham Housing Authority.

Corbitt received 853 votes, while Whiteside received 680. Munise was defeated with 607 votes.

Whiteside and Munise could not be immediately reached for comment, but Corbitt shared her thanks to those who voted for her and showed up for the community. Her campaign was fueled by a desire for a full three-year term.

Corbitt was first elected in 2024 and hopes to continue projects like revitalizing Main Street. 

"I'm really looking forward to the next three years," she said.

For School Committee, Kevin Brogioli and Joyce Bacchiocchi faced newcomers Jordan Johnson and Nancy Tynan Cederholm.

Brogioli received 615 votes and Bacchiocchi 583. Johnson and Cederholm were defeated with 514 and 530, respectively.

A six-year member of the School Committee and longtime educator, Brogioli said he was "grateful" to everyone who voted for him. During his campaign, he stressed the importance of supporting new Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson and maintaining continuity on the committee.

"I plan to continue to help the Wareham schools in the best way I can," he said.

Adding another three years to her nine-year tenure on the committee, Bacchiocchi stressed the importance of addressing the financial challenges the district faces annually. She also emphasized improving public perception of Wareham schools.

Bacchiocchi could not be immediately reached for comment.

Johnson, running for a town government seat for the first time at 18, congratulated all the winners. He called the process "fun" and said he valued the insight he gained while campaigning.

"I didn't come out on top but that's okay. It's the first election I could even vote in," Johnson said. "I just want to ask Wareham what I can do to earn their vote next election because I will be back. I'm still going to be involved in town— my name isn't going away."

Cederholm entered the race after retiring from Wareham Public Schools in February 2026. Sharing her disappointment at the loss, she said she will not run again but believes Johnson will have a "great career" in politics.

"I can go on with my retirement now. I just thank everybody for the support," she said.

Incumbents Priscilla Porter and James McCahill ran unopposed for the Board of Assessors. Robert Scanlan will retain his seat as sewer user commissioner, and Scott Soby will remain at-large sewer commissioner.

All will serve three-year terms.

Town Clerk Lisa Johnson said the election went smoothly this year following an error on the 2025 ballot that did not include a position for at-large sewer commissioner. Final numbers could change slightly as the office finalizes the count Wednesday, May 6.

Though the official numbers will not be posted until then, she called the available totals "pretty solid."

Initial reports showed 1,199 voters turned out. Lisa Johnson could not be immediately reached to confirm the number of registered voters in Wareham on Election Day.

Last year saw 1,034 voters turn out, with 20,084 registered voters in town. This means about 5% of registered voters cast ballots in 2025.