Friedmann Will Run for Williams' Seat and Bar Harbor Council

Mount Desert, Tremont, Trenton, and Southwest Harbor candidates announced

Mar 25, 2024

BAR HARBOR—Three men have pulled papers to eventually run for the two openings for the Bar Harbor Town Council, Gary Friedmann, Cosmo Nims, and Charles Sidman.

Friedmann is the current vice chair of the council whose term is up. To continue his term he has to be voted in again in June. Nims ran for council last year and lost. He was appointed to the town’s Planning Board. Sidman also ran for a council seat last year and lost to Earl Brechlin who is finishing the remainder of Jeff Dobbs’ term.

Friedmann is also running for a seat in the state legislature that was last occupied by Lynne Williams. Williams told the Bar Harbor Story this week that she didn’t intend to run again.

“I am very interested in representing this district in Augusta and plan on running to fill Lynne's seat,” Friedmann said Saturday.

Rumors that former representatives Elsie Flemings and Richard Cleary (both of Bar Harbor) might run are not true, Cleary confirmed on Saturday. Quietside Journal founder Lincoln Millstein reported that Warrant Committee member Ezra Sassaman may be interested in the seat.

On Saturday, Sassaman told the Bar Harbor Story that Williams had reached out to him earlier if someone had to finish her term.

“At that point, I said I would be excited to serve for the remainder of her term and/or run this summer,” Sassaman said. “Now that it looks like no one will have to fill her term as quickly as we thought and Gary Friedmann is interested in running this upcoming summer, I probably will not need to replace her. Gary and I have a similar political orientation and he understands the importance and urgency of furthering climate justice legislation. It wouldn't make sense for me to challenge him if he is interested in running.”

Elections for the seat are held in November. In 2022, Republican Stephen Coston had challenged Williams.

According to the Hancock County Republican Chair Kerry Ann McKim, “At this time, we have not had a candidate announce that they are running for the seat.”

Friedmann has also turned in his papers, with 25 signatures, for the Town Council. He plans on running for another term in June and will see how the House race goes.

The following offices will be elected by the voters at the June 10, 2024 town election:

Bar Harbor Town Council Two seats – three-year term
Superintending School Committee One seat– three-year term
MDI High School Trustee One seat – three-year term;
MDI High School Trustee One seat - two-year term
Warrant Committee Five seats – three-year term

Nomination papers have been available in the town clerk’s office since March 3. Once papers are pulled, mandatory amounts of signatures of Bar Harbor registered voters must be turned into the town clerk’s office. Those signatures are verified. Then the names of the candidates are put on the ballot. Pulling papers does not mean that a potential candidate will return them.

For the Town Council, Vice Chair Gary Friedmann and Councilor Joe Minutolo have terms that end this year. Minutolo has expressed to the Mount Desert Islander that he’s still deciding whether or not to run again.

For the Warrant Committee, the five members whose terms end are Chair Seth Libby, Meagan Kelly, Kathleen St. Germain, Ezra Sassaman, and Bailey Stillman. Stillman was appointed earlier this year to finish Caleb Cough’s term. Cough had resigned.

Currently, Steve Boucher, Brooke “Zana” Blomquist, Julia “Jules” Cuchelo, Barbara Dunphey, Kelly, Elizabeth Lemire, and Stillman have pulled papers. Boucher is also a former committee member. Blomquist ran for Town Council last year. Cuchelo and Lemire both ran for Warrant Committee last year.

For the Superintending School Committee (Conners Emerson School), Marie Yarborough’s term will end in June. She has pulled papers to potentially be on the ballot.

For the MDI High School Board of Trustees, Chair Rob Jordan’s term ends this year and he has pulled papers. Joseph Cough resigned last month.

There are no term limits and incumbents can run for reelection.

The deadline for filing nomination papers with the town clerk is April 12, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.

See also the Elections-June page or call 207-288-4098 for more information.

MOUNT DESERT

The Mount Desert Islander’s Dick Broom has reported that former Public Works Director Tony Smith will challenge Select Board member Martha Dudman for a seat she’s held since 2011.

For the School Committee, there are two seats available. Chair Brian Henkel is running again for the three-year term. Jamie Whitehead is not. Katherine Emery is running for the seat.

For the MDI High School Board of Trustees, Julianna Reddish-Bennoch is running unopposed for her seat.

Those elections are decided May 6.

SOUTHWEST HARBOR

Luke Damon isn’t seeking reelection for the town’s Select Board. Noah Burby took out papers for Damon’s seat.

For the School Board, Susan Allen and John Bench’s terms ended this year. They are both running again.

For the MDI High School Board of Trustees, Ann Ratcliff’s term ended this year. She is running again.

The election is held at Town Meeting on May 7.

TREMONT

For the Select Board, there are two seats. Both incumbents, Kevin Buck and Eric Eaton, are running again.

For the School Committee, there are two open seats for three-year terms. Incumbents Eliza Bishop and Chair Keri Hayes are both running.

For the MDI High School Board of Trustees, there is one seat. Hayes is running for that seat as well.

Residents vote May 13, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Town Office.

The Town Meeting is on May 14, at 6:30 p.m., at the Town Office.

TRENTON

For the select board, there are two three-year terms. Incumbents John Bennett and Charles Farley Jr. have turned in papers. Carol Perault is also running.

For the school board, there are two seats, both for three-year terms. Vice Chair Aarron Brown and Gary Burr’s seats are up for grabs. Brown is running again. Sue Shattenburg is also running.

Voting will be on Monday May 20 2024 at the Town Office, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Open Town Meeting is May 21 at 6 p.m. at the Trenton School.

Correction: This story initially said Marie Yarborough’s term has ended. That was a typo. Her term does not end until June.

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