GORHAM — Voters Tuesday handily reelected Town Council incumbents Suzanne Phillips and Ronald Shepard to three-year terms. They defeated challenger Christina Paul in a three-way race for the two seats.

Phillips tallied 5,735 votes, Shepard 5,017 and Paul 4,208. Phillips and Shepard swept the three voting wards and central.

Phillips, 44, is the current chairperson of the board and Shepard, 72, is the vice chairperson. Both are Gorham natives and Gorham High School graduates. Phillips is executive director of Gorham Business Exchange and Shepard is a retired town police chief.

Shepard said Wednesday that he’s grateful the citizens chose to reelect him.

“I look forward to continue working on the issues we need to address,” Shepard said.

Phillips said, “I am happy to go back to work for the people of Gorham for three more years. Thank you for the opportunity.”

The Town Council will meet Tuesday, Nov. 10, and the board will reorganize, electing its leadership and naming various committee members.

The School Committee will have a new look with three new members on its seven-member board. Tuesday’s winners were James Brockman, Nicole Hudson and Sarah Perkins. They defeated Leah Sturm in a four-way race for the three available seats, as none of the three incumbents sought reelection. All are for three-year terms.

Perkins topped the field with 6,367 votes, Hudson 4,739, Brockman 4,300 and Sturm 3,653.

Perkins, 42, is a chief operating officer for a credit union.

“I’m so grateful to the people of Gorham for this amazing opportunity to serve our children. I’m ready to get to work!,” Perkins said.

Hudson, 33, is a former special education teacher now a stay-at-home mother.

“Thank you to the voters of Gorham,” Hudson said. “It is so wonderful to see so many folks in town participating in this election. I am thrilled to be one of the new school committee members and will do my best to represent the Gorham community, especially our students. We have a lot of work to do and I’m looking forward to getting started. If anyone has questions, feedback or concerns, please reach out.”

Brockman, 47, is a business analyst.

“I’m humbled and honored by the support of my community. I’m excited to get to work in support of Gorham’s school system,” Brockman said.

The School Committee faces grappling with overcrowding at the town’s aging high school and swelling enrollments in the three elementary schools.

Gorham voters by a wide margin, 9,498 to 1,055, approved borrowing up to $5.7 million for maintenance and school repairs.

Voters also okayed a town charter amendment that prohibits town councilors from holding school and town jobs.

In Gorham’s presidential balloting, Democratic candidate Joe Biden outdistanced President Donald Trump 6,460 to 4,275.

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