Field Of Candidates Set For Nantucket's Annual Town Election

The 2023 Annual Town Election field is set after Wednesday’s deadline to submit signed nomination papers to the town clerk came and went, and there will be only two contested races on the ballot this year: Select Board and Land Bank.

This year’s election is scheduled for Tuesday, May 23rd, when the polls will be open at Nantucket High School from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Select Board
Four candidates will be vying for the two open seats on the Select Board, the island’s lead elected policymaking body. Incumbent Malcolm MacNab, a physician and former Board of Health member who won the race last November to complete the term of former Select Board member Melissa Murphy will face three challengers. They include: Tom Dixon, the assistant director of Nantucket’s Food Fuel and Rental Assistance program who previously served as the legislative liaison for state Rep. Dylan Fernandes; Kathy Richen, a retired town employee who worked in the Finance Department and who placed fourth with 752 votes in last November’s Select Board race; and Clifford Williams, an airways system specialist and former Finance Committee member who is running for the 12th time. Williams finished in third place last November with 866 votes. The other incumbent, Select Board chair Jason Bridges, is not running for re-election

Land Bank
Longtime Land Bank commissioner Allen Reinhard is seeking reelection to his fifth term, and has served on the Land Bank since 2003. Reinhard, the former middle moors ranger for the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, has served on numerous boards and committees over the years, including the Select Board, the Cemetery Commission, the Roads and Right-of-Way Committee, among others. Reinhard will be challenged by political newcomer Kelly Steffen, a member of ACK Now’s advisory council who works for the non-profit Process First, which has been involved with food security initiatives on Nantucket.

The other uncontested races and candidates include:

Town Meeting Moderator:
Sarah Alger, incumbent

School Committee:
Dr. Tim Lepore, incumbent
Shantaw Bloise-Murphy

Historic District Commission:
Ray Pohl, incumbent
Val Oliver, incumbent

Harbor & Shellfish Advisory Board:
Dave Fronzuto, incumbent
Peter Brace, incumbent

Housing Authority:
Linda Williams, incumbent

Planning Board:
Joe Topham, incumbent

Water Commission:
Curtis Barnes, incumbent
Nelson “Snooky” Eldridge, incumbent