WINDHAM – As time expired Monday afternoon to file papers for the Nov. 8 election, this year’s slate of Windham Town Council candidates is sparse compared to previous election cycles.

Of the three races, only the Town Council at-large position is contested, with Patrick Corey challenging incumbent Thomas Gleason.

The other two council races feature candidates who are running unopposed, David Nadeau and Dennis Welch. Linda Morrell, town clerk since 2001, is also running unopposed, for the sixth straight time.

On the Windham-Raymond RSU 14 School Board, there are three candidates – incumbent Kate Brix and newcomers Bethany-Ann Davis and Dawn Perkins – vying for two open seats.

In addition to the local races, Windham voters will be confronted with four statewide referendums and one countywide referendum.

Council race

After more than six years of service, East District Councilor John MacKinnon is stepping down. MacKinnon was first elected in June 2005 and says he “feels like it’s time to move on.”

Barring a write-in campaign, MacKinnon’s exit should allow David Nadeau, who ran for council each of the last two years, to fill the East District seat for a three-year term.

Nadeau is the Planning Board chairman and has been on that board for the last 10 years. Asked what’s motivating him to run for a third time, Nadeau said, “My feeling and care for the town.”

The other unopposed race features Dennis Welch, a newcomer to Windham politics who is running for the one-year Town Council at-large seat held by Peter Anania, who was appointed last January and indicated he would not seek another term.

“I’ve always believed in getting involved with the community I live in,” said Welch, a former Westbrook resident who ran for City Council there five years ago. Welch, who works as a corrections officer at Cumberland County Jail, is also the “significant other” of previous councilor Carol Waig, who took out papers to run but did not return them.

While two of the seats are all but locked up, the only contested race features Gleason and Corey vying for the three-year Town Council at-large seat.

Corey said he wasn’t planning on a run but was convinced after the Windham Republican Party nominated him at its recent caucus.

“I’m happy to have the opportunity to potentially serve the people of Windham,” said Corey, who also ran for council last year, losing to Kevin Call.

Gleason, who was elected last November to a one-year-term, is running to “continue what I’ve already been doing, helping people try to keep their homes,” he said referring to a proposed foreclosure policy Gleason said will soon come before the council.

School board

There are two Windham seats up for grabs on the RSU 14 School Board this November. Incumbent Kate Brix is running against Bethany-Ann Davis and Dawn Perkins for two seats, one of which is being vacated by Mike Mack, who said he has to step down since his wife is going to be employed by the school district.

“I thoroughly enjoy the important work of educating our youth and believe I bring invaluable historical knowledge having been on the Windham School Board and now the combined Windham/Raymond School Committee for nine years,” Brix said. “With continued economic concerns, I hope to provide a seasoned point of view to ensure that the community receives good value for the education provided while allowing our children to receive the best education possible.”

Both Perkins and Davis have three children in the Windham school system.

Davis said she is running because she is “always looking for ways to serve my community” and she “wants to have a voice” in what’s going on, especially after attending meetings held last year to seek public input on whether the district should close the Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond. “That definitely sparked my interest,” she said.

Perkins, who is on several boards in town including the Windham Youth Soccer Association, said she has a “passionate” and “vested interest” in education with three children in the system.

“My children are fifth generation Windham and I want to make sure they and all the children get the most out of our educational system,” Perkins said.

Ballot questions

Also on the ballot are four statewide referendums and one countywide referendum.

Question 1 deals with a new law passed by the Legislature this year that requires voters to register at least two business days prior to Election Day. A yes vote rejects the new law and allows for same-day voter registration.

Question 2 asks voters whether they want a slot machine facility at a harness racing track in Biddeford or another community within 25 miles of Scarborough Downs. It also asks whether a similar racino should be allowed in Washington County.

Question 3 asks voters whether they want a casino with table games and slot machines in Lewiston.

Question 4 is a constitutional amendment changing the years for redistricting. Redistricting for county, Legislative and Congressional seats now takes effect three years after a Census (2013, 2023, 2033, etc.). If approved, redistricting would take place the year after a census is taken, starting in 2021.

Question 5 concerns authorizing county commissioners to renovate the Cumberland County Civic Center at a cost not to exceed $33 million.

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