A race for the Charter Commission in Londonderry is the most hotly contested local race in this year's elections. There are 22 candidates for nine seats. But there might not be a commission; voters must first approve the formation of the commission at Town Meeting.
It's not the only contested race on local ballots.
A race for a Board of Selectmen seat tops Salem's list of contested positions. Incumbent Pat Hargreaves is seeking re-election and is being challenged by Nanci Carney, the school district clerk.
Three candidates are up for two three-year seats on the Salem Planning Board. Incumbents Linda Harvey and James Keller are seeking re-election, but John J. Manning Jr. hopes to take a seat.
Edward DeClercq and Jeffrey Gray are running for a two-year term on the Planning Board.
Four people are running for two three-year seats on the Salem Budget Committee — incumbent Stephen Campbell, along with William Carter, Diana Seifert and Jeffrey Hatch.
Patrick McDougall and Robert Utley are vying for a three-year seat on the zoning board.
In the Salem School District, incumbents Patricia Corbett and Peter Morgan are running. They are challenged by resident Dane Hoover.
Few races in Atkinson, Danville, Kingston
The only contested race in Atkinson is for two three-year positions for the Kimball Library trustees. William Innes is challenging incumbents Alan Phair and Kay Galloway.
In Danville, three people are running for a one-year term as tax collector — Kathleen Eid, Kimberly Burnham and Michelle Drew.
There are two contested races in Kingston. Stanley Shalett, Richard G. Wilson and Daniel Mastroianni are running for two available three-year terms on the Planning Board. Jay Alberts, Daryl Branch and Robert L. Morse are running for one three-year term on the zoning board.
All three Derry Town Council seats are contested. For two of those seats, the incumbent is not seeking re-election. Douglas Newell, James Webb and Joel Olbricht are running for the three-year councilor-at-large seat.
Candidates for the District 2 seat include Frank Farris, Frank Santiago, David Milz and Tom Cardon. Incumbent Brian Chirichiello, Joseph DiChiaro and Albert Dimmock are running for the District 4 seat.
Three people are seeking two three-year terms on the Plaistow Board of Selectmen. Joyce Ingerson is challenging incumbents John Sherman and Charles Blinn.
Tyler Simmons, Steve Ranlett and Charles Lanza are all seeking a three-year term on the Plaistow Planning Board. Martha Fowler is challenging incumbent Bernadine Fitzgerald for a three-year term as treasurer.
There are contested races for three seats on the Timberlane Regional School District School Board.
Arlene Champey, Jennifer Caruso and Nancy Steenson are running for the three-year seat from Danville. Lisa Withee and Michael Addorisio are running for the Plaistow seat, and Lori Aubrey, Kelly Ward and Cathy Lisi are vying for the Sandown seat.
Three of Timberlane's five Budget Committee seats also are contested. No one is running for the two seats from Sandown, but Michelle O'Neil and Paul Shalek both want the three-year seat from Danville. Michael Addorisio and Normand Bouchard are running for the three-year term from Plaistow, and Tricia Holt and Michele Cont are running for the two-year term from Plaistow.
Hampstead, Windham have contests
There are three contested races in Hampstead.
Vivian Clark is challenging incumbent Neil Reardon for a two-year term as town moderator. There is a four-way race for two three-year terms on the Budget Committee. Richard Gaudette, Robert O'Brien, Brian Vass and Walter Hastings are all running for one of those seats.
On the school side, Colleen King is challenging incumbent Judith Graham for a three-year term on the Hampstead School Board.
In Windham, there's a contested race for a three-year term on the Board of Selectmen. It pits incumbent Bruce Breton against former Selectman Margaret Crisler.
The two three-year seats on the Planning Board also are contested. The candidates are Walter Kolodziej, Ruth-Ellen Post and Kristi St. Laurent, all of whom are on the Planning Board.
Four candidates are running for two three-year positions on the Zoning Board of Adjustment. They are incumbents John Alosso and James Tierney, and challengers Elizabeth Dunn and Heath Partington.
There are two contested races on the school side.
The race for a three-year term on the Windham School Board features incumbent Bruce Anderson against challenger Barbara Coish, a former School Board member. The other race also is for a School Board position, the remaining year of Mark Brockmeier's term. The three candidates vying for that seat are Dick Forde, Michelle Farrell and Dennis Senibaldi.
In neighboring Pelham, Madeline Carrier, Andy Ducharme and Rob Hardy are seeking the two three-year seats open on the School Board.
There are no races on the town side of the ballot in Pelham.
There are no contested races in the Sanborn Regional School District.
Back in Londonderry, the 22 candidates running for nine seats on the potential Charter Commission include former town officials, state legislators and residents.
The candidates are Clarissa Navarro, Lara McIntyre, Christopher Melcher, Marie O'Keefe, Christopher Paul, Debra Paul, Tammy Siekmann, Kathy Wagner, Anne Warner, Gregory Warner, Lisa Whittemore, Stephen Young, Al Baldasaro, Marty Bove, Dana Coons, Bruce Dorner, Glenn Douglas, Brian Farmer, Fred Heinrich, Jay Hooley, Robert Lebreux and James Loiselle.
Members of the Charter Commission will be elected only if voters approve forming the commission at Town meeting.
There also are five candidates running for two three-year positions on the Town Council — Timothy Siekmann, George Dolan, John Farrell, Thomas Freda and Joseph Green.
Candidate information was not available from Sandown yesterday.
Newton has two contested races. Incumbent Trisha McCarthy is running for re-election to the Board of Selectmen. She is challenged by Charles R. Melvin Sr. Deidre Castle and Brenda Fiers are both running for a two-year term as treasurer.
