Caucus sets table for contested Select Board race

Voters braved the remains of Winter Storm Fern to advance candidates at Tuesday’s annual Town Caucus, ensuring a contested race for an open seat on the Select Board in March’s municipal election. 

Caucusgoers also nominated hopefuls for single seats on the School Committee and Housing Authority, as well as the post of town moderator.

Many nominees “have long careers of being involved” in town government, Caucus Chair Mike Lawson told The Acton Bridge. 

And “pleasantly, there are people who are new to this process,” he observed afterward.

Ex-Finance Committee Chair Dean Banfield, education technology executive Drew Magliozzi, FinCom Clerk Karlen Reed, and sitting Housing Authority Chair Stephan Bader had announced their intended runs for Select Board, School Committee, moderator, and Housing Authority, respectively, ahead of the caucus.

Current Gaining Ground board of directors member Sam Hiersteiner emerged as a second Select Board candidate during Tuesday night’s proceedings at the Town House.

Bader is the only incumbent pursuing reelection in this cycle after Select Board Chair Mark Howell opted against seeking a second term and School Committee member Carrie Rankin also bowed out.

• Banfield has worn many hats in town but remains “an activist at heart” who is already up to speed on key issues facing Acton, former Select Board Chair Matt Johnson said in his nominating speech. Fellow former Chair Terri Ackerman seconded the nomination.

• Hiersteiner is “an amazing leader” who has “dedicated his life to civic education,” his nominator, Patrick McCurdy, said. Acton is facing various “opportunities and challenges,” McCurdy said, and “I can’t think of a better person” than Hiersteiner to lead the community. Concordian Adam McGowan provided the second.

• Magliozzi, resident Paul Ruhlmann said, can “offer much to our School Committee,” and he would support the panel “in its efforts to close achievement gaps.” Julie McClure, president of the Acton Housing Development Corp., seconded.

• Peggy Briggs said Reed would “moderate Town Meeting fairly and expeditiously.” Briggs, who serves with Reed on the FinCom, highlighted Reed’s polling place volunteerism and her work with the League of Women Voters. Concordian Ellen Quackenbush offered the second.

• Bader can be counted on to “be there before everyone shows up and he’ll be there after everybody leaves,” nominator Shaw Yang said. He’s been an “active volunteer” in numerous organizations, Yang said, and will “be very valuable” in a new term. Anne Irza-Leggat seconded Bader’s nomination.

In keeping with tradition, all the candidates attended the caucus, but none spoke.

“Usually, it’s pretty well known” who’s running for Select Board and School Committee before the nominating event, Lawson said. 

A nomination like Hiersteiner’s, he said, “is not common, but it has happened.”

Carmin Reiss decided not to seek an eleventh term as moderator. Her successor will be only Acton’s third moderator since 2010.

More to come? 

Hopefuls who didn’t go through the caucus can still get on the ballot if they get 50 signatures from Acton voters and return nomination papers by February 10 at 5 p.m. 

Local contractor John Grace has taken out candidate papers for the Select Board and School Committee seats, according to the Town Clerk’s office. 

He faces a charge of violating a harassment prevention order after prosecutors said he erected “scarecrows” around Acton criticizing schools Superintendent Laurie Hunter. 

Grace attended the caucus but wasn’t nominated. Those who don’t get a spot on the ballot can still run a write-in or sticker campaign. 

Election day is March 31. The voter registration deadline is March 20 at 5 p.m. 

Diane Proctor, a board member of the League of Women Voters of Acton-Carlisle, served as 2026 caucus clerk. 

With the field taking shape, the League has scheduled its annual candidates forum for March 15 at 2 p.m. Organizers had not published the location of the event as of press time, but promised “additional details will be announced soon.”