Gorham voters overwhelmingly elected Michael Phinney to his fifth term on the Gorham Town Council and narrowly elected newcomer Noah Miner.
By only 15 votes, Miner defeated former Buxton Police Chief Jody Thomas, 3,142-3,127, and will replace Jane Knapp, who didn’t seek re-election.
Thomas said she will not ask for a recount.
“I am happy with the people who were running and I think they will do a good job,” Thomas said Wednesday morning.
Knapp, a Republican, was successful in her bid to win the House District 129 seat.
Phinney, 41, was the top voter-getter in the four-person race for two Town Council seats, earning 4,506 votes. He is vice president of Phinney Lumber in Gorham.
“I’m always very happy and thankful that the voters in Gorham re-elected me to serve another term for them,” Phinney said late Tuesday night. “I hope that people vote for me because they think I have done a good job and want to give me the chance to continue to work for them.”
Miner, 33, has lived in Gorham for seven years. He is a stay-at-home father and a former engineer for General Electric.
Matt Mattingly finished fourth with 2,659 votes. He remained optimistic, however, and said he would probably run again for a seat next year.
“I am sure Phinney and Miner … will do a good job,” Mattingly said. “You know what? There’s another election next year.”
There will be two new faces and one veteran on the Gorham School Committee, where four candidates sought three seats.
Kathy Garrard won her first bid to the board, earning the highest vote totals of the four candidates running for three seats with 4,773 votes.
“I’m thrilled,” Garrard said on Tuesday night. “I had the opportunity today to stand outside and shake the hands of thousands of people, and I am very grateful and pleased with the support of the people of Gorham and I promise I’m going to do my best.”
Polly Shields also won a first term on the committee with 4,102 votes.
“I am excited and I am really looking forward to it,” Shields said. “I was really unsure going into the election because you never know until the end.”
Dennis Libby, who was re-elected with 4,557 votes, said he is looking forward getting back to work.
“I am very anxious to get back to work and continue to represent Gorham and the School Committee,” he said.
Bill Benzing, also a newcomer, came in fourth, with 2,697 votes.
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