Hudson and Pennington Secure School Committee Seats as Spagone Sails to Re-Election in East Bridgewater
EAST BRIDGEWATER - May 16, 2026 - East Bridgewater voters turned out to cast 693 total ballots in the Annual Town Election, anchoring municipal leadership for the upcoming term. The unofficial results revealed decisive wins in competitive contests for the School Committee and Planning Board, alongside steady support for uncontested incumbents like Select Board Chair Peter Spagone, Jr..
The Full Story
The most closely watched race on the ballot was the contest for two open seats on the East Bridgewater School Committee for a three-year term. Crystal L. Hudson finished as the top vote-getter, capturing 497 votes with strong support distributed evenly across all four precincts. Joining her in securing a seat is Ellen K. Pennington, who received 298 votes. Dennis Scott Jones, Jr. finished third with 262 votes, missing out on a seat on the committee. For the shorter, two-year School Committee term, Leslie J. McDonough ran unopposed and secured 441 votes. A one-year vacancy on the School Committee drew 70 write-in votes against 623 blanks, leaving the final outcome to a hand-count of write-in candidates.
In the Planning Board race, five candidates competed for three available seats. Stephen Patrick Perkins led the field with 394 votes. Gerard P. Adams placed second with 370 votes, and Diane CW Phillipps claimed the final open seat with 331 votes. Candidates Rachel Gorn Tedesco (290 votes) and Roy E. Gardner (269 votes) fell short of the threshold required to join the board.
Incumbents and unopposed candidates saw a smooth path to victory across other municipal offices. Incumbent Select Board member Peter Spagone, Jr. earned 480 votes to maintain his seat on the board. Robert Thomas Looney won another term as Town Moderator with 478 votes. Susan A. Mulloy was elected to the Assessor’s office with 491 votes , and Andrew L. Hudson won the single open seat on the Board of Health with 486 votes. In the race for Trustees of the Public Library, where two seats were open, Ashley M. Ware (421 votes) and Victoria Panora (418 votes) easily outpaced a scattering of 4 write-in votes. Finally, the open seat on the Housing Authority yielded 65 write-in votes, which will determine the winner once officially tallied.
Official Election Tallies
Key Race Outcomes
Town Moderator (1 Seat): Robert Thomas Looney won with 478 votes ; write-ins received 27 votes ; there were 188 blank ballots.
Select Board (1 Seat): Peter Spagone, Jr. won with 480 votes ; write-ins received 16 votes ; there were 197 blank ballots.
Assessor (1 Seat): Susan A. Mulloy won with 491 votes ; write-ins received 5 votes ; there were 197 blank ballots.
School Committee (3-Year Term, 2 Seats): Crystal L. Hudson (497 votes) and Ellen K. Pennington (298 votes) were elected; Dennis Scott Jones, Jr. received 262 votes ; write-ins received 8 votes ; there were 321 blank slots.
School Committee (2-Year Term, 1 Seat): Leslie J. McDonough won with 441 votes ; write-ins received 4 votes ; there were 248 blank ballots.
School Committee (1-Year Term, 1 Seat): Write-in options received 70 votes ; there were 623 blank ballots.
Trustees of Public Library (2 Seats): Ashley M. Ware (421 votes) and Victoria Panora (418 votes) were elected ; write-ins received 4 votes ; there were 543 blank slots.
Board of Health (1 Seat): Andrew L. Hudson won with 486 votes ; write-ins received 3 votes ; there were 204 blank ballots.
Planning Board (3 Seats): Stephen Patrick Perkins (394 votes), Gerard P. Adams (370 votes), and Diane CW Phillipps (331 votes) were elected; Rachel Gorn Tedesco received 290 votes; Roy E. Gardner received 269 votes ; write-ins received 3 votes ; there were 422 blank slots.
Housing Authority (1 Seat): Write-in options received 65 votes ; there were 628 blank ballots.
Source Document: East Bridgewater Unofficial Town Election Results (May 16, 2026)