Copyright Portland Press Herald
Brunswick voters selected Richard Ellis, Corinne Perreault and Ramona Thieme to lead Town Council districts 1, 4 and 6, respectively in Tuesday’s election. Thieme edged out her opponent, incumbent Councilor Nathaniel Shed, by just a single vote, according to unofficial results. In addition to the three contested council races, voters also reelected District 2 Councilor James Ecker, who was unopposed. On the school board, three unopposed candidates — Elizabeth Ketner, Beth Bisson and Elizabeth Sokoloff — secured their spots Tuesday. DISTRICT 1 Richard Ellis and Lisa Trombley competed to fill the District 1 seat formerly held by David Watson, who retired from the council this year. Ellis won 514 votes to Trombley’s 468, according to the unofficial results. Ellis is a veteran School Board member, serving from 2011-2016. He told The Times Record in September that he hoped to address inequities in property taxes and focus on responsible development. “With my two children now in college, I have more time to focus on serving our community,” he said in September. “I bring real-world experience and a strong understanding of how our town and its budgets work, and I am committed to keeping Brunswick a safe, vibrant, affordable, and welcoming community for everyone — from kids to retirees.” DISTRICT 4 In District 4, Corinne Perreault beat Steven Walker with 688 votes to 575, according to the unofficial results. Walker previously served as the District 2 councilor for 11 years. The two candidates competed for the seat formerly held by Chair Sande Updegraph, who is resigning at the end of November. Perreault will serve the remainder of Updegraph’s term, through 2027. Perreault served on the School Board from 2001-2018 and owns Perreault & Daughters Construction with her husband. In an interview in September, she told The Times Record that she wants to expand affordable housing and attract industry to Brunswick to alleviate the residential tax burden. “I am passionate about Brunswick. I want nothing more than to ensure Brunswick remains the special town it is, so all of our neighbors can thrive here,” she said. DISTRICT 6 Newcomer Ramona Thieme took the District 6 race by a single vote, edging out incumbent Nathaniel Shed, a three-year council veteran, 478 votes to 477, according to the unofficial results. Thieme, who runs an IT support business, told The Times Record in September that some of her highest priorities on the council are increasing affordability and housing availability and ensuring safety for pedestrians and bike users. “Brunswick is growing and the cost of living has increased substantially,” Thieme said. “We need to prioritize development that caters to the needs of our residents. We need affordable housing and accessible transportation so that the people who live here aren’t going to get displaced by gentrification.”
