SCITUATE – An unendorsed incumbentRepublican and an independent newcomer with a long history of local advocacy finished in the top two spots for Scituate Town Council, bringing meaningful opposition to the mostly GOP board for the first time in a long time.
Unendorsed GOP Councilor Theresa Yeaw frequently makes motions for discussion on various issues that aren’t seconded, meaning the matter is never aired in public. With independent Richard Finnegan coming in second place behind Yeaw and earning a seat on the council, those motions can now move forward.
Yeaw took home 2,512 votes, or 13.74 percent, while Finnegan won 2,445 votes, or 13.37 percent.
“Thank you, Scituate!” said Yeaw. “I will continue to serve with honesty and integrity.”
Finnegan has long been a frequent critic of the way the council does business, including in the ongoing senior tax freeze controversy. He speaks at almost every meeting and brings a lot of research with him.
After Yeaw and Finnegan in Tuesday’s election results, five endorsed Republicans all won seats, Brenda Frederickson (2,408 votes), David D’Agostino (2,227 votes), newcomer Michael Marr (2,011 votes), Charles Collins Jr. (2,092 votes), and Peter Meusert (2,089 votes), rounded out the winners. Endorsed Republican Jason Parmelee did not win a seat.
Councilors Timothy McCormick and Gary Grande had not sought re-election.
The top vote-getter in town has traditionally been elected as president of the council, but that didn’t happen in the previous election when Yeaw came in first.
Scituate will be 300 years old in 2031, and the town’s lack of a home rule charter governing how the town operates has been contentious for a long time.
One issue that helped defeat the charter previously was a disagreement over whether the town clerk should be appointed or elected. Longtime Clerk Peg Long is now retiring.
At the polls Tuesday, three teams of bipartisan stakeholders collected signatures from residents seeking to reach and exceed the 1,500 valid ones necessary to move the process forward toward a potential special vote.
Observers say Finnegan’s daily trips to the early-voting location, where he was often the only one there to talk with voters about the election and charter petition, helped get him on the council.
