Brunswick municipal elections are just under a month away, and candidates are weighing pressing issues — ranging from the disastrous Aug. 19 firefighting foam spill to affordable housing — in their campaigns.

This election season, four seats on Town Council and three seats on the School Department Board are up for grabs, with 11 candidates total registered for the ballot. While one councilor and two Brunswick school board members are seeking reelection unopposed, eight other candidates are either running to retain their seats or to take one over.

Part of the competition this year is due to shifts in the Town Council. Over the summer, former District 2 Councilor Steve Walker resigned, prompting a special election for the seat. A candidate that wins this district will serve the remainder of Walker’s term, which ends in Dec. 31, 2025.

Current At-Large Councilor James Ecker is vying for Walker’s seat, facing challenger Mark Melendy. An at-large position available, Katherine E. Wilson is running unopposed to make a return to council. Council Chairperson Abby King, who represents District 3, opted not to run for reelection this year, creating another opening that three more candidates are battling for.

On the Brunswick school board, Shaun Hogan and Abigail Isaacson Abbott are facing off for the at-large seat.

District 4 Councilor Sande Updegraph, District 3 school board member Erica Carley Harris and District 4 board member Celina S. Harrison are all running for reelection unopposed.

The below are profiles on candidates in contested races. Candidates answered questions related to their experience, why they were running for office, their most pressing concerns and how they would handle them. Profile lengths may vary due to length of candidates’ responses, and responses have been lightly edited for grammar, spelling and clarity. 

For Town Council

Courtesy of James Ecker

James W. Ecker for District 2

Ecker, a licensed professional engineer, has lived in Brunswick for 28 years with his family. Though he currently serves as councilor at-large, he is running for District 2 to provide consistent leadership on key initiatives the council is tackling.

“I decided I wanted to serve my home district, which also happens to include a significant portion of the former Naval Air Station and airport,” Ecker said. “I want to remain on the council to provide consistent leadership on several of the important initiatives we have underway.”

He placed the town’s most pressing concerns in two categories — keeping Brunswick affordable and modernizing town policies that address growth, land use and sustainability. He is also concerned about the planning for Brunswick Landing, specifically the airport, which he said has been evolving “rapidly with very limited community input.”

Ecker has served on several municipal committees and task forces over the years, including the Sustainability Committee, and currently serves on the Finance Committee and hopes to continue work to keep Brunswick fiscally responsible while still investing in Brunswick’s future, such as supporting schools and making roads safer to all users. He also aims to help update the Comprehensive Plan and related ordinances, as well as advocate for more community oversight of Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority.

Courtesy of Mark Melendy

Mark Melendy for District 2

Melendy has a background in biology and academia and moved to Brunswick in 2008 to work at Bowdoin College. He has stayed since, often volunteering for committees like the Marine Resources Committee, Rivers and Coastal Waters Commission, Simpsons Point Citizens Advisory Committee, and more. He is saw the District 2 seat opening as an opportunity to do more and take an active role addressing pressing issues.

“We need to have strategies for dealing with the increasing environmental changes but also need to keep focused on affordability,” he said. “The rapid pace of development has not resulted in a lower cost of living. I don’t want to lose good residents because they cant afford to live here.”

Melendy said that there is a lot of work to be done on the former base — not just with redevelopment but also dealing with legacy pollutants and the recent PFAS spill, the effects of which may not be seen for years. He also noted that access to the town’s nearly 70-mile waterfront is a challenge for both recreation and traditional working waterfront activities.

He said that the town will need state and federal assistance to deal with the “unfolding PFAS” issue and that it needs to keep pursuing funding and expertise for remediation and cleanup efforts. He also said he would like to see development tied to infrastructure updates that benefit Greater Brunswick and to pursue homeowner incentives to invest and upgrade their homes to reduce heating costs.

Courtesy of Kimberly Anderson

Kimberly Anderson for District 3

Anderson, who grew up in a farming household, came to Maine at the age of 18 for school and eventually opened and ran a café for a few years before closing and becoming and FAA-certified A&P mechanic and moving to Alaska. She moved back in 2020 to be with family, which she said is a driving force behind running for the District 3 seat.

If elected to the District 3 seat, she hopes to help support the community by bringing in diverse businesses, supporting workforce development and affordable housing.

“All of these are intricately tied together,” Anderson said. “More business means a larger tax base, more stable personal taxes and more jobs. The more diverse our economy the better we are able to handle the natural ups and downs.”

She said that in order to support businesses, a larger workforce is needed and part of making this happen is by making sure workers have a place to live. She also encourages those in the community to reach out to her with what they want to see happen in Brunswick.

Courtesy of Bruce Kantner

Bruce Kantner for District 3

Kantner and his wife first came to Brunswick in 1970 to help build a yurt high school program in Bowdoinham. He went on to work as a farmer, builder, teacher and serve in New Hampshire town government, and later complete graduate studies in education and environmental science. He said he and his wife returned to the area nine years ago and that he decided to run for the seat because he has the skills, experience and is a strong advocate for citizen education and collaborative town governance.

“I listen well, enjoy networking and have a lively sense of responsibility,” he said. “A key issue for me is encouraging long-term thinking and resilient actions towards climate stability for our children and grandchildren.”

He said that he has attended many council meetings and spoken up on the issues of housing, sidewalks and the environment. Recently, he’s been “alarmed” by the toxic spill at Brunswick Landing, and said he has done research on MRRA’s and the Navy’s role and attended meetings related to the incident.

He said that the town faces several challenges — lowering taxes, pursuing a fair revaluation, Comprehensive Plan completion, affordable housing with sustainable “smart growth,” supporting environmental health and open space as well as removing of toxic chemicals at the Landing.

Courtesy of Mary McNulty

Mary McNulty for District 3

McNulty, a full-time homemaker and mother of two, said she and her husband chose to raise a family in Brunswick for both the quiet it brings and the variety of resources available in the town. She said is running to support her district in any way she can.

While she said she does not have professional experience that can be applied to the council role, she is looking forward to the possibility of supporting the district’s community if given the opportunity.

“My concerns specifically for the town is finding that happy medium between supporting the infrastructure we have already while also acknowledging that Brunswick is a sought-after area of Maine to live in,” she said. 

She noted that her district is balancing being both a business and residential sector of town. If elected, she said that she would communicate concerns and challenges District 3 constituents share with her to the Town. She also hopes to connect more with her community face to face.

Courtesy of Katherine Wilson

Katherine E. Wilson for at-large seat

Wilson was born and raised in Brunswick and has a long running history in show dogs and has trained and taught horse riding. She was previously on the council for nine years and decided to run for another term this year.

As an at-large councilor, Wilson said she can focus on town-wide issues, such as taxes and making sure older, mainly homebound citizens — especially those on fixed incomes — aren’t left behind.

For school board

Courtesy of Shaun Hogan

Shaun Hogan for at-large seat

Hogan first came to Brunswick in 2006 when he was stationed at then-Naval Air Station as a military police K9 officer. His local experience includes completing the teaching practicum for Secondary Education Certification at Brunswick High School, teaching students and instructors while managing the largest Driver Education school in the community, and serving on the town’s Personnel Board and Nathaniel Davis Fund Committee.

“I have been kvetching during public comment and via letters to the school board for years about my concerns with poor budgetary decision making, lack of transparency and the overall direction of the school department,” Hogan said. “Anyone willing to offer a critique should also be ready to also bring a solution to the table. This is me following up my words with action.”

Hogan said he wants to represent voices in the community that have not been adequately heard or represented in public forums. If elected, he also aims to slim down the “top-heavy” administration and trim the budget to focus on needs versus wants. He said that he aims to shine light on issues and encourage other members to view things from a fresh perspective, though he noted that for serious change, it will take several election cycles and candidates like him to influence the school board.

Courtesy of Abigail Isaacson Abbott

Abigail Isaacson Abbott for at-large seat

Abbott was born and raised in Brunswick and has worked in health care administration for 15 years. She said she has a strong financial background for analyzing budgets. She said she is seeking election to build on Brunswick’s “strong school system” by continuing to improve the schools.

“We need to maintain a focus on improving academic outcomes and ensure that we provide the highest quality education to all students,” she said. “This emphasis on excellence should start at the beginning of a student’s academic career and extend through high school graduation.”

If elected, she said she would invest in the pre-kindergarten program and use data to measure progress for academic achievement goals and to inform teaching.

Those interested in learning more about municipal candidates can do so at the Curtis Memorial Library, which will host two meet-the-candidates nights next week. The first, on Oct. 15, will be for Town Council Districts 2 and 4 and school board District 3 and at-large. On Oct. 18, residents will meet with candidates for Town Council District 3 and school board District 4. There will be predetermined questions for candidates at each event, both of which start at 6 p.m.

This story has been corrected to show that Abigail Isaacson Abbott is not running for reelection but will be a new school board member is elected.