Are Nantucket's Elections Getting More Competitive?

Are Nantucket’s elections getting more competitive? At first glance, the data may seem to suggest so, but a closer look reveals that the story is more complicated.

Between 2013 and 2022, around 63 percent of local elections were uncontested. In the four years since, that number has fallen to 55 percent, and this year, two-thirds of the races on the ballot feature more candidates than seats.

However, the change seems to be largely confined to a small number of high-profile boards: the Planning Board, School Committee, and Land Bank Commission.

When the Current first investigated the issue of uncontested elections on Nantucket, the only board that consistently fielded more candidates than seats was the Select Board. In the last four years, three of the four School Committee elections have been contested, as have three of the four Land Bank elections. The Planning Board, which had previously seen the large majority of candidates run unopposed, also now sees more contested elections than uncontested ones.

“I think it's a great thing,” School Committee chair Laura Gallagher Byrne said. “I think it's fantastic.”

What has changed? It may be at least in part just that Nantucket’s population is increasing, which widens the pool of potential candidates. Larger communities generally have more competitive elections.

It could also be that some candidates are running on specific high-profile issues, trying to drive the elected boards closer to their preferred position on those topics.

“It's not necessarily about winning. It's about getting your message out there and saying what you want to say,” Select Board member Tom Dixon said. “My gut take is that it is sort of a proxy fight on those bigger issues.”

Still, while fewer candidates are running unopposed now than they used to, that doesn’t mean the problem is solved. Most local elections remain uncontested, eliminating the public’s opportunity to choose its own elected government.

“It is almost like appointing yourself to an elected committee,” Byrne said of candidates running unopposed.

Many of the problems remain the same as they were in 2022. Running for election and serving on a town board can be extremely time-consuming, and board members receive essentially no financial compensation for their service, which makes it difficult for many Nantucket residents to serve. Several officials interviewed for this article spoke about the difficulty of balancing an elected position with work or caring for children.

“It’s a big time commitment. It’s huge. I didn’t even realize it until I was actually in it, and then I thought ‘holy smokes!’” Byrne said. “I think it’s the time commitment, and putting yourself out there.”

When the four boards that generate the most contested elections are set aside, the picture changes dramatically. Across seven other elected town bodies, including the highly influential Historic District Commission, over 75 percent of races are still uncontested.

Harbor and Shellfish Advisory Committee chair Andy Lowell suggested that a perceived lack of power could be one of the problems facing at least some of the lower-profile positions.

“The other thing is a feeling of ineffectiveness, especially when the word 'advisory' is in there,” he said. “You feel a sense of weakness. We can only do so much. We can only say something, we can't do something.”

Another problem is the lack of affordable housing on island, which can make it difficult to retain board members, even when they do decide to run. That was one reason Dixon decided not to run again, instead opting to move off-island.

“Part of it was housing,” Dixon said of his decision. He said he had spent years moving from rental to rental and had struggled to find stable housing. “On the mainland, I can work two towns over and drive in. You can't do that here.”

Electoral campaigns can also be logistically and emotionally taxing.

Nantucket’s struggle with uncontested elections is hardly unique. Across the country, the large majority of races are not competitive. Several estimates put the rate of uncontested elections at around 70 percent, meaning that Nantucket actually has a significantly more robust level of electoral participation than most of the country.

Making elected positions appointed would not necessarily improve the island’s situation. Setting aside the other reasons one might prefer elected or appointed boards, the Select Board struggles to fill existing appointed seats every year, and many of the seats it is able to fill are similarly uncontested.

This year’s annual local election is notable for featuring competitive races for two boards that rarely see competition. It is the first time the Water Commission has had a contested election on the ballot since 2021, and the first time the Harbor and Shellfish Advisory Board has had one since 2018. Maybe that is a sign that things truly are changing, and competition is increasing, but it is too early to say.

“We've got a rare moment this year, which makes it exciting,” Lowell said.

And this year’s election also has another oddity: a Select Board race that is, at least on paper, uncontested. With both incumbents, including Dixon, bowing out, there will be only two names on the ballot vying for two seats after a pair of challengers dropped out of the race. Jill Vieth and Clifford Williams are the sole remaining contenders whose names will appear on the ballot next month. But in practice, it’s probably not fair to call this election uncontested. Charter boat captain Bob DeCosta, who served on the Select Board in the past, has thrown his name back into contention as a write-in candidate and is expected to make a strong push for one of the two available spots.

“I think it's just the best perch you can have into the community to try to be a part of this place and to make it better and to have a say,” Dixon said of his time in office. “It's changed my life for sure.”