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Absentee Ballots Could Decide Nadeau-Johnson School Board Race

 

From left, incumbent Eugene Nadeau, and challenger Dean Johnson, contenders for School Committee in Dist. 1. From left, incumbent Eugene Nadeau, and challenger Dean Johnson, contenders for School Committee in Dist. 1.
From left, incumbent Eugene Nadeau, and challenger Dean Johnson, contenders for School Committee in Dist. 1. From left, incumbent Eugene Nadeau, and challenger Dean Johnson, contenders for School Committee in Dist. 1.

Editor’s note: The following story was reported using unofficial results posted election night to the Board of Election’s website as of 10:20 p.m.

Warwick, RI – Sitting Councilors and School Committee members may hold their posts after close calls for two incumbents, with 1,306 absentee ballots an X-factor, particularly in the Dist. 1 School Committee race.

Councilman Steven Colantuono won a particularly close race in Ward 1 with 1,988 to challenger Patrick Maloney’s 1,771 total, according to the Secretary of State’s website. There are only 180 absentee ballots, not enough to swing the result, according to Donna McDonald, director of elections at the Board of Canvassers.

Councilman Steven Colantuono with his daughter, Sophie, 14, at Mayor Scott Avedisian's campaign HQ during the 2014 Election Nov. 4.
Councilman Steven Colantuono with his daughter, Sophie, 14, at Mayor Scott Avedisian\’s campaign HQ during the 2014 Election Nov. 4.

“When I first won, my campaign was a completely grass roots campaign,” Colantuono said. “Tonight it’s the same thing, ” he said, pointing out people in the crowd who helped him during his campaign.

“Thank you to my family and my friends who have always been there for me,” Colantuono said.

Voters also delivered a close 62-vote lead to School Committee incumbent Eugene Nadeau, winning 3,762 to challenger Dean Johnson’s 3,700. There are 411 absentee ballots which could still decide that race, according to McDonald.

In the Dist. 2 School Committee race, voters chose Vice Chair Terri Medeiros, who had 5,193 against challenger Stephen Pope’s 2,225. (The absentee ballot count for this race was not immediately available, but there are not enough absentee ballots altogether to swing this race.)

In the other contested Council races:

City Council Ward 3 incumbent Democrat Camille Vella-Wilkinson won 1,349 to beat Republican  John Falkowski with 997 votes and Independent Harold Ouimette’s 250, with 149 absentee ballots outstanding.

City Council Ward 8 voters sided with incumbent Democrat Joseph Gallucci, granting him 1,835 votes to 1,005 for Republican challenger Luelyn M. Jennings. (The absentee ballot count for this race was not immediately available.)

The remainder of the City Council incumbents ran unopposed.

Rob Borkowski
Author: Rob Borkowski

Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.

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