TOWN ELECTION UPDATE: Jim DeFeo & Frank West Pull Papers To Run For Select Board; School Committee Race Needs A Candidate

WILMINGTON, MA — The following seats will be up for grabs in this year’s Wilmington Town Election on Saturday, April 22, 2023:

• TWO 3-year seats on the Wilmington Select Board (currently held by Chair Judy O’Connell and Gary DePalma)
• TWO 3-year seats on the Wilmington School Committee (currently held by Chair Jennifer Bryson and Melissa Plowman)
• ONE 5-year seat on the Wilmington Housing Authority (currently held by Chair Robert DiPasquale)

Three major developments have happened in the past 72 hours:

• On Wednesday, February 22, Jim DeFeo, an Army veteran and sergeant with the Boston Police Department, has pulled nomination papers to run for Select Board.
• On Thursday, February 23, former Selectman Frank West, a local realtor, pulled nominations papers to run for Select Board.
• On Friday, February 24, School Committee incumbent Melissa Plowman announced she will not be seeking re-election, which guarantees Wilmington will have at least one new School Committee member.

SELECT BOARD RACE (2 seats, 4 candidates): Incumbent Gary DePalma (January 5) and challengers Mark Nelson (January 18), Jim DeFeo (February 22), and Frank West (February 23) have pulled papers. Incumbent Judy O’Connell has announced she will not be seeking a fourth term.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE RACE (2 seats, 1 candidate): Incumbent Jennifer Bryson (January 6) has pulled papers and returned them (February 1). Incumbent Melissa Plowman (January 6) also pulled papers, but recently announced she will not be returning them.

HOUSING AUTHORITY (1 seat, 1 candidate): Wilmington Veterans Services Director and former Selectman Lou Cimaglia (January 19) has pulled papers. Chair Robert DiPasquale has not pulled papers to seek re-election.

The Town Moderator and the Shawsheen Tech School Committee members are NOT up for re-election this year.

There are less than week for additional candidates to emerge. Nomination papers, with at least 50 valid signatures from Wilmington voters, are due by Friday, March 3, 2023.

The Annual Town Election will be held on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Polls will be open from 8am to 8pm. Precincts 1-3 vote at the Boutwell Early Childhood Center. Precincts 4-6 vote at Town Hall.

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