Taverna Re-Elected in Hull, Green Wins Second Select Board Seat; Incumbents lose on Light Board, Planning Board
HULL - May 18, 2026 - Incumbent Select Board member Jerry Taverna secured a second term and challenger Susan Short Green captured the second open seat in Hull’s annual town election on Monday, according to unofficial results released by the town clerk. The election shook up multiple local panels, with voters favoring challengers over long-serving incumbents on both the Municipal Light Board and the Planning Board in an election heavily focused on fiscal transparency and long-term infrastructure planning.
The Full Story
A total of 4,272 voters cast ballots on Monday in an election marked by competitive challenges and strong community calls for structural transparency across various municipal departments. In the heavily watched five-way race for two open seats on the Hull Select Board, newcomer Susan Short Green emerged as the top choice among residents, securing 1,031 votes. Incumbent Jerry Taverna, who was the sole sitting member seeking re-election following the retirement of Jason McCann, successfully held onto his seat with 972 votes. Trailing closely behind was candidate Patricia Lynn Cormier with 872 votes, followed by Michael A. Sampson with 407 votes and Christopher Patrick Niland with 300 votes.
The desire for structural shifts extended down the ballot, delivering a major upset to the Municipal Light Board. While incumbent Jacob Michael Vaillancourt topped the ticket with 1,249 votes to hold his seat, he was openly supporting Mark Leonard Kohn who won the second seat with 1,225 votes. This outcome unseated longtime board member and local business owner Patrick F. Cannon, who garnered 866 votes. Vaillancourt and Kohn campaigned heavily on a joint platform to modernize Hull’s electrical grid, proposing a battery-backed microgrid to stabilize electrical rates and improve systemic reliability.
A razor-thin margin decided the open five-year term on the Planning Board. Challenger Lisa French narrowly unseated incumbent Planning Board Chair Jeanne M. Paquin by a mere five votes in preliminary numbers, finishing with 945 votes to Paquin’s 940. French campaigned on an inclusive, big-picture planning vision focused heavily on aligning zoning exceptions with the town’s developing master plan.
Meanwhile, the Hull Redevelopment Authority (HRA) three-year term witnessed a highly competitive write-in battle. Incumbent Charles Joseph Richardson Jr. successfully retained his seat with 874 votes, fending off a strong 845-vote write-in challenge from Susan Vermilya, a founder of the local advocacy group “Save Our Space Hull”. For the uncontested five-year HRA term, C. Anne Murray secured election comfortably with 1,409 votes.
In the School Committee race, sitting incumbents Courtney Littlefield and Aleeza Rose Hagerty successfully fended off a challenge from former committee member Ernest Minelli IV. Littlefield pulled in 1,370 votes and Hagerty secured 1,187, while Minelli finished with 748 votes. Uncontested municipal candidates including Pamela Bradley Sinton-Coffman for Assessor, Anne M. MacEachern for Housing Authority, and Amy L. Hyde alongside Thu-Hang Vu Tran for Library Trustees all coasted to clear victories.
Key Election Results
Race: Select Board (Two 3-Year Seats)
Candidates: Susan Short Green: 1,031 votes; Jerry Taverna: 972 votes; Patricia Lynn Cormier: 872 votes; Michael A. Sampson: 407 votes; Christopher Patrick Niland: 300 votes.
Outcome: Susan Short Green and Jerry Taverna elected.
Race: Municipal Light Board (Two 3-Year Seats)
Candidates: Jacob Michael Vaillancourt: 1,249 votes; Mark Leonard Kohn: 1,225 votes; Patrick F. Cannon: 866 votes.
Outcome: Jacob Michael Vaillancourt and Mark Leonard Kohn elected.
Race: Planning Board (One 5-Year Seat)
Candidates: Lisa French: 945 votes; Jeanne M. Paquin: 940 votes.
Outcome: Lisa French elected.
Race: Redevelopment Authority (One 3-Year Seat)
Candidates: Charles Joseph Richardson Jr.: 874 votes; Write-in (likely Susan Vermilya): 845 votes.
Outcome: Charles Joseph Richardson Jr. elected.
Race: School Committee (Two 3-Year Seats)
Candidates: Courtney Littlefield: 1,370 votes; Aleeza Rose Hagerty: 1,187 votes; Ernest Minelli IV: 748 votes.
Outcome: Courtney Littlefield and Aleeza Rose Hagerty elected.