Brunswick voters will elect four town councilors and three School Board members at the polls on Election Day, Nov. 7.
Only one of the races is contested. Three candidates are vying for the at-large council seat being vacated by Kathy Wilson, who is not running for reelection.
Voting will be held at Brunswick Junior High School from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Citizens can request absentee ballots through the town clerk or an online state portal.
Town Council races
Chris Teel, Nathan MacDonald and Camden Reiss are running for Wilson’s seat.
Teel, 61, is a project manager for the Cianbro construction company and worked at Bath Iron Works on business and program management for about 30 years.
Chris Teel. Courtesy photo
“My focus will be reducing taxes through budget challenges, taking a common-sense approach to reduce governance, listening to the citizenry and voting to get our Town Council decision-making back in balance,” he said. “Through townwide involvement and spirited vocal objections, we averted a property assessment that would have devastated many residents, especially our seniors and fixed-income population.
“With this passion and conviction for our town, working together, having representation that listens and has a strong voice, we can take back our town and restore our traditional heritage and hometown values that have made Brunswick so special.”
He said he is running for a host of reasons, including a love of the town’s history, stopping tax hikes and promoting accountability and transparency on the council.
“I can no longer stand by and watch our town leadership levy tax increases on residents forcing them to move or greatly alter their lifestyle just to afford living here,” he said. “I will not support making non-essential spending decisions during a very difficult economy.”
MacDonald, 27, is the development and community engagement director for the Maine-based Family Violence Project, a domestic violence resource center. He is board president of Queerly ME, a local nonprofit. He served on the Maine School Administrative District 11 board and has held leadership roles on several Democratic committees across the state.
He said he decided to run for council because housing has become too expensive.
Nathan MacDonald. Courtesy photo
“My partner and I wanted to live in Brunswick for over a year but couldn’t find housing for under $2,000 a month,” he said. “I am determined to address the affordable housing crisis on our hands both in the rental and for-sale markets.”
If elected, he said he will focus on affordable housing, climate-friendly initiatives, economic development and fiscal responsibility. He said he has attended nearly every council meeting over the last year.
“I’m running for Town Council in order to build upon the efforts of those who came before me to make Brunswick a more affordable, climate-resilient and inclusive place to live,” he said.
Reiss, 26, a marine harvester who digs clams in Brunswick and bloodworms up and down the coast, is finishing his mechanical engineering degree at the University of Maine.
He said he is running to “bring a fresh voice to better represent all people in the town of Brunswick.”
Camden Reiss. Courtesy photo
“I am very logical and have a great work ethic, but also, my connection to the working class of people will enable me to best represent what is best for our community,” he said. “I would focus on lower taxes, increasing options for affordable housing and giving a voice to the working class.
“I promise to represent the needs of all residents in a fair and balanced manner, and will do everything in my power to make living in Brunswick affordable and equitable for all.”
Incumbent District 5 Councilor Jennifer Hicks, Steve Weems (District 7) and James Ecker (the at-large seat being vacated by Dan Ankeles) are running unopposed. Current District 7 representative James Mason, the council chairperson, is not running for reelection. Ecker would finish Ankeles’ term, which expires next year.
Hicks, 50, has served on the council since March. She’s the director of communications and outreach for the nonprofit Maine Woodland Owners and has served on the town’s Recycling and Sustainability Committee for nearly five years.
“I’ve enjoyed serving as a town councilor and find this to be a very interesting time to be a decision-maker in Brunswick,” Hicks said. “The town is growing and is facing choices that will impact its future.”
She said she wants to focus on improving municipal communications with residents, supporting the town’s climate action plan and planning the eventual transfer of roads and infrastructure at Brunswick Landing to the town “so it can be prepared for this additional responsibility and rendering of services.”
She added, “I believe in transparency, inclusivity and the importance of responsive government, and will work hard to ensure that these values are the basis of Brunswick’s Town Council’s operation.”
Weems, a former two-term councilor who served from 1991–1995, has founded, owned and/or managed 10 businesses in Maine in the organics recycling, commercial modular space, project finance, community and economic development, and solar energy sectors. He has served as a trustee of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority and as vice chairperson of the town’s Sustainability Committee.
Steve Weems. Courtesy photo
“My vision is derived from the many attributes of Brunswick as a community, dedicating myself to keeping it as a community where diverse people want to live and can live,” Weems said. “To me, this means making decisions that balance the need for essential community amenities and services with affordability, with long-term sustainability as a guiding principle.”
He stressed the importance of “looking ahead, not backwards, to anticipate, plan and get ahead of the many potentially tumultuous pressures that are heading our way (homelessness, waves of climate and other refugees, serious population pressures), with a goal of anticipating challenges rather than reacting to crises, accommodating positive change while protecting the essence of what we cherish about living in Brunswick.”
Ecker is director of project management for Waste Management, developing recycling projects in the U.S. and Canada. He is currently chairperson of the town’s Sustainability Committee.
He said he decided to run “with the hope of maintaining balance and rational decision-making on the council as we address both the challenges and opportunities facing the community in the years to come.”
He said his priorities are controlling the budget, supporting schools and driving sustainability.
“I intend to listen well as we navigate keeping Brunswick affordable while also tackling the significant challenges associated with a rapidly changing economy, a growing population and protection of the environment,” he said.
School Board races
Sarah Singer (District 7) and William Thompson (at-large) are running for reelection. William Walsh (District 5) is running to replace Lauren Watkinson, who is not seeking reelection. None of the candidates are opposed.
Sarah Singer. Courtesy photo
Singer, 46, is an associate broker at Portside Real Estate Group. She is the board’s vice chairperson and has served since she was first elected in 2014.
She said she is committed to implementing the board’s strategic plan and expanding vocational programs to give students more access to training in the trades.
“We have excellent schools, but it requires work to maintain our standards,” Singer said. “We should continue to invest in our schools and community. Our schools are producing and supporting incredible programs from academics to performing arts and athletics.”
Thompson has served on the board since 2011, including stints as chairperson in 2014 and 2021. He and Walsh could not be reached for more information about why they are running.
Councilors and School Board members serve three-year terms.
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