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Bishop Re-elected in Westbrook, Fuchs Will Serve on BOS

Westbrook voters re-elected Republican First Selectman Noel Bishop, who defeated Democratic challenger Hiram Fuchs by 299 votes, a 14 percent margin. The verified tallies were 1,198 for Bishop and 899 for Fuchs.

“I’d really like to thank all the voters who came out today,” Bishop said by phone. “We had over 2,100 that voted. That’s a very high turnout. An extremely high turnout.

“Our Republican team campaigned every weekend for the past two months,” he said. “We knocked on the doors of people’s homes. The consistent message was the following: Keep our taxes down and maintain the same services.

“We heard your voices and we will not disappoint you,” he continued. “I want to thank everybody for your confidence and trust—everybody, whether they’re Democrats, Republicans, or unaffiliated.”

Based on the Republicans’ team’s canvassing of residents, Bishop said that voter discontent with the state government is not as high as in the past.

“The new governor [Ned Lamont] is doing everything he can,” Bishop said. “I think people want to give him a chance. One of the things on people’s minds: tolls. It got withdrawn, but it’s going to come back.”

Bishop predicted that once it does, “people are going to object.”

Of the four candidates for seats on the Board of Selectman (BOS), incumbent Selectman John Hall III won the most votes, with 1,212. In Westbrook, the three candidates from the BOS and first selectman races who win the most votes are seated; thus, Fuchs will serve as a selectman. Democrat George Pytlik, Jr., received 36 fewer votes than Fuchs, with 863.

Four candidates, two from each party, ran for two available seats on the Board of Finance. One Republican and one Democrat were elected: incumbent James E. Dahl (R) and Chris Ehlert (D).

Four candidates ran for three seats on the Board of Education. Incumbent Sally Greaves, a Democrat, was re-elected. Republicans Christine Kuehlwind and Michael J. Esposito were also elected, with Kuehlwind beating Democrat Michael P. Susi by 66 votes.

For the Library Board of Directors, there were three available seats and four candidates, two from each party. Democrat MaryJo Noonan, the current chair, together with Republicans Katharine Bishop, the current vice chair, and Megan Ruppernicker were re-elected. Newcomer Deborah Lepine, a Democrat, did not win a seat.

Candidates for other offices and commission seats ran unopposed.

“I’m very thankful to the Westbrook Democratic Town Committee [DTC] for having the faith to put me up as their candidate and all the work of the members of the DTC and all the volunteers,” Fuchs said by phone on Wednesday morning. “It’s very humbling to get that level of support from people.

Fuchs reflected on the high turnout for the election and expressed gratitude for those who had cast votes for him, noting that he’d come out of “political obscurity” but that “a lot of people took my candidacy seriously on both sides.

“I look forward to my position on the BOS,” he added. “I want to work with John [Hall] and Noel [Bishop] to help solve some of the problems that Westbrook’s facing.”