Three Candidates Vying For Kitchener's Planning Board Seat

Three applicants have submitted their names for the Planning Board seat vacated by John Kitchener last month, setting up a joint vote by the Select Board and the Planning Board to choose his successor.

All three candidates have a history of involvement with Nantucket’s local politics. The first is Liza Hatton, a real estate broker who previously lost a narrow Planning Board race against Hillary Hedges Rayport and currently serves as an at-large member of the Nantucket Planning and Economic Development Commission. Hatton is a member of the Nantucket Association of Real Estate Brokers and Nantucket Builders Association.

“I am transparent, a great communicator, and I will have the island’s best interests at heart when it comes to the decisions we make,” Hatton wrote in her application. “I promise to work hard, collaborate, participate and listen.”

The second candidate is Campbell Sutton, who has served as a Planning Board alternate before, and regularly attends and speaks at both Planning Board and Select Board meetings. Sutton clarified that, if chosen, she would not run for a full term after the one-year appointment expired.

“I have been actively participating through both the public comment and public hearing sections of the agendas,” Sutton wrote in her application. “I am up to speed on many of the issues and applications before the Board and could move into Mr. Kitchener’s vacated seat without too much disruption to the system.”

The final contender is Clay Evans, a local political strategist and social justice activist who briefly pulled papers for this year’s Select Board race before backing out. At the time, Evans said he wanted to focus on his Master’s degree, but would be open to serving Nantucket in another role in the future. Evans, who has extensive experience in campaign strategy, did not mention any potential conflict with his degree in his application for the Planning Board.

“I desire to be a Planning Board member because this is a board that has the ability to facilitate the connectivity and inclusiveness of the island and a sustainable future,” Evans wrote in his application. “I am excited about the prospect of working with the board to ensure that as projects are considered, that they do not negatively impact our environment, such as being cautious when approving development in the Wellhead District.”

As Kitchener resigned the morning after the deadline to submit nomination papers for the 2026 town election, the Select Board and Planning Board will vote together on Kitchener’s replacement at the May 20th Select Board meeting. The candidate who is chosen will serve for a single year, after which the seat will be on the ballot for next year’s local election.

“Serving on this Board has been a true honor. I’ve deeply valued the chance to work alongside [Planning Board chair Dave Iverson], our fellow members, and the dedicated Town staff in helping shape Nantucket’s future. The experience has been meaningful both personally and civically,” Kitchener wrote in his resignation letter. “After a great deal of thought, I’ve made the decision to step down for personal reasons.”

Kitchener’s resignation and the subsequent appointment process bear a striking resemblance to former Planning Board member John Trudel’s resignation in 2024. In both cases, the incumbent Planning Board member resigned in early April, right after the deadline to pull papers for an upcoming election, triggering the same appointment process, which will conclude around the same date, directly after an election for a separate Planning Board seat. Ultimately, it was Kitchener who was chosen to replace Trudel.