East Bridgewater Candidates Night 2025 Showcases Local Election Contenders
Three candidates present platforms for Library Trustee, School Committee, and Select Board positions ahead of May 17 election
EAST BRIDGEWATER - May 8 - East Bridgewater's Candidates Night 2025 provides a platform for local election hopefuls to share their backgrounds and visions with community members as the town prepares for its upcoming May 17 election.
The event, co-hosted by the Democratic and Republican Town Committees, features candidates for Library Trustee, School Committee, and Select Board positions, though several candidates are unable to attend.
Lauren Roy, running for one of two Library Trustee positions, brings extensive experience in the book industry to her candidacy.
"I have worked in and around the book industry for the last 30 years," Roy tells attendees. "I was a bookseller at Booksmith in Hanover. I was a sales rep for one of the big five publishers."
Roy, who also writes and develops for tabletop role-playing games, explains that the Library Trustee position aligns perfectly with her background and desire to contribute to East Bridgewater.
"In looking for ways to get involved in East Bridgewater and give back to the community, seeing the Library Trustee position just sort of felt like that's the spot where I know what I'm doing and can probably be the most help," she says.
Jennifer Stewart, also running for Library Trustee, is not present at the event.
For the School Committee race, which has two openings and three candidates, only Aron Danielson attends. Elizabeth Stancil is unable to participate due to illness, while Christie Layton is not present.
Danielson, a 52-year-old resident who has lived in East Bridgewater for 46 years, emphasizes his deep roots in the community and relevant professional experience.
"I went through the school system, graduated from East Bridgewater High School. Ended up building a house in town, raised three great kids," Danielson shares. "I've been a union member for 32 years. I've held positions within companies as a project manager and an estimator and managed multi-million dollar projects, and now I am actually an officer for the union."
When asked about his specific goals for the School Committee, Danielson stresses his preference for observation before action.
"I really don't have an agenda. I don't have any goals," he explains. "I always paid attention to what was going on first before I decided to pick an avenue to go with or give my input. I feel as though listening first before reacting is important."
He adds, "I'm looking to come in and help create a good system, make sure that the kids are learning what they need to learn, and obviously help with budgeting or anything of that nature that needs to be done."
Katherine Mullen, the sole candidate for the three-year Select Board position, presents her vision for East Bridgewater's future. A 2017 graduate of East Bridgewater High School who studied political science at UMass Amherst, Mullen currently works for the office of Allison Sullivan-Almeida.
"This is really where I fell in love with public service and serving my community," Mullen says. "It also means more to me that I'm able to serve a community that raised me into who I am."
Mullen outlines three main priorities for her potential tenure on the Select Board: transparent communication, fiscal responsibility, and maintaining East Bridgewater's appeal while addressing affordability concerns.
"First and foremost, from talking to residents, I think we need open, honest, and transparent communication," she states. "If you're having an issue with the town, I don't want you to hesitate to reach out, to call, to come to town, to come to the select board meetings."
On fiscal matters, Mullen emphasizes careful management of town resources. "Just like we balance our checkbooks at home, we need to do it here at town hall, and we cannot put that tax burden back onto our residents."
When questioned about her stance on development and housing affordability, Mullen clarifies her position on maintaining the town's character while addressing economic needs.
"When I say I don't want to change the footprint of East Bridgewater, what I mean is I love the small town feel that we do have here," she explains. "That being said, I am not opposed to having businesses and residences and homes here in town. I want it to be affordable for people to come here and start their businesses."
Town Meeting is scheduled for May 12, with the election following on May 17.