The Race Is On!

Multiple candidates meet deadline to run for Bar Harbor Council and Warrant Committee

BAR HARBOR—Papers are in for the June elections in Bar Harbor and there are multiple candidates for all four town council seats as well as for the five warrant committee seats.

Matthew Hochman chose not to run again this election as did Meagan Kelly.

“This decision was incredibly difficult, I still feel that there is a lot of work to do, and I know many of you urged me to run again, and my desire to serve is still strong, Still, I only know one way to do the job, and that is to give 100%,” Hochman said. “It has been the honor of my life to serve the town that I grew up for the last 12 years on the warrant committee, council, and various committees. I will continue to serve on the AOS RPC committee. I'm sure this decision will upset some people and make others deliriously happy. I thank all of you who have voted for me and trusted me to represent you. It has been an absolute privilege. You are an amazing community, and I look forward to serving you again in some capacity in the future.”

Fellow councilor, Earl Brechlin is running for one of two three-term seats. Also running for those two full-term spots is former police chief Nathan Young and current warrant committee member Steven Boucher.

Kelley who had been appointed to fill the remainder of Kyle Shank’s term also chose not to run again for the remainder of his term. Shank’s employer and family obligations necessitated that he move to Pennsylvania.

Nina St.Germain and David Kief are vying for that one-year remainder of Shank’s term.

For the two-year-term, which is the remainder of State Representative Gary Friedmann’s seat, Randy Sprague is running as is Kevin Knopp and Diane Vreeland. Rep. Friedmann resigned earlier this year so he could focus on his work in the Maine State Legislature.

Town Council

Two seats - three-year term

• Steven Boucher, Jr.

• Earl Brechlin (incumbent)

• Nate Young

One seat - two-year term

• Kevin Knopp

• Randell Sprague (incumbent)

• Diane Vreeland

One seat one-year term

• David Kief

• Nina St.Germain

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Warrant Committee

There are five seats up for grabs for full three-year terms. Julie Berberian, the current vice chair, chose not to run. Jeffrey Young also chose not to run again.

Incumbents running again for the three-year terms are Robert Chaplin, Louise Lopez, Eben Salvatore, and Vicky Smith who was appointed to fill the remainder of Meagan Kelly’s term.

Tammy Bloom, John Kelly, and Timothy Smith are also running for those three-year terms.

There is one seat for the two-year term available. Michael Good is running for that seat against Meagan Kelly. Both have previously served on the committee.

Five seats for three-year terms

• Bloom, Tammy

• Chaplin, Robert (incumbent)

• Kelly, John

• Lopez, Louise (incumbent)

• Salvatore, Eben (incumbent)

• Smith, Timothy

• Smith, Victoria (incumbent)

One seat for two-year term

• Michael Good

• Meagan Kelly

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Conners Emerson School Committee aka Superintending School Committee

There are two seats available for the school committee that oversees Bar Harbor schools. Incumbent Tyson Starling as well as Tracey Neel and Carlyle “Bear” Paul are running. Current Chair Alexandra Simis, whose term expires 2025 chose not to run again to focus on fundraising for the new Conners Emerson School, which is currently under construction.

Two seats for three-year terms

• Tracey Neel

• Carlyle “Bear” Paul

• Tyson Starling (incumbent)

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MDI High School Board of Trustees

Larry Sweet chose not to run again and there are two open seats, one for a three-year term and one for a one-year term. Andrew Flanagan was the only one who turned in papers. He’ll run unopposed for a three-year term.

One seat for three-year term

• Andrew Flanagan

One seat for one-year term

• No candidate has taken out papers.

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The residents of Bar Harbor will vote for these elected officials at their annual municipal election on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at the town office, 93 Cottage Street, Bar Harbor.

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