GORHAM – Fraught with fighting and personality conflicts, the Gorham Town Council emerges from Tuesday’s election with a new makeup.

Voters chose one political newcomer and backed a former town councilor for the two available three-year terms on the board. In an upset, voters also failed to return an incumbent to a House seat.

Sherrie Benner, a real estate agent with no previous political experience, and Shonn Moulton, a former town councilor, prevailed in a crowded field for two available seats on the Gorham Town Council. Brenda Caldwell, present chairwoman of the council and Matt Mattingly did not seek re-election to the council.

Caldwell stepped down after two council terms and Mattingly didn’t run, as he made an unsuccessful bid for a legislative seat.

The new Town Council will reorganize in a meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 13, preceding the board’s regular monthly meeting in the Gorham Municipal Center at 7 p.m., when Benner and Moulton will take the oath of office. The board will elect a new hierarchy.

Moulton and Benner are ready to serve on the panel.

“I am truly honored that the voters of Gorham have placed their faith in me to serve and represent them on the Town Council,” Benner said Wednesday. “It was my pleasure to be able to meet Gorham businesses and residents, to listen to their comments on what makes Gorham a great place to live, work and raise a family, and more importantly, to hear their suggestions on what we can do to make our community even better. I look forward to the next three years.”

Moulton on Wednesday praised all the candidates and thanked his supporters.

“Thank you to everyone who voted for me and I look forward to serving on the council for another three years,” Moulton said. “It is an honor and a privilege and I look forward to moving Gorham forward.”

In the balloting breakdown, Benner topped the council candidates with 2,828; Moulton, 2,653; Benjamin Hartwell, 2,014; Bruce Roullard, 2,003; Edward Platts, 1,567 and Isaac Misiuk, 456.

In Gorham balloting for the state’s Senate District 6 seat, voters supported James Boyle, a Democrat, over the Republican candidate, Ruth Summers, 5,144-3,404.

In the race for House District 129, representing part of Gorham, Andrew McLean, 27, of Gorham, a Democrat, handily defeated veteran incumbent Rep. Jane Knapp, Republican, of Gorham 3,541 to 2,172. McLean is an administrator at the University of Southern Maine.

Rep. Linda Sanborn, D-Gorham, was re-elected to another term in House District 130, representing part of Gorham and part of Buxton. Sanborn, a retired doctor, won in Gorham by a wide margin, 1,809-1,220, besting Mattingly. Buxton voters also supported Sanborn over Mattingly, 797-728.

In a campaign with a pair of veteran legislators, Don Marean of Hollis defeated Ron Usher of Buxton in both towns in a battle for House District 131. By only one vote, Marean edged Usher 1,287-1,286 in Buxton balloting, but Marean convincingly won in Hollis 1,515-803.

Two Gorham School Committee seats were available. Running unopposed on the ballot, Darryl Wright was re-elected with 5,602 votes, while Timothy Burns as a write-in candidate tallied 70.

With no candidate on the ballot for a five-year seat as a Portland Water District trustee representing Gorham, Duane Dreger was the top write-in candidate with 38, narrowly edging another write-in, George Vercelli, with 36.

In the presidential election, Gorham backed Barack Obama over Mitt Romney 5,123-3,742. In Buxton, Obama tallied 2,212, just 303 votes more than Romney with 1,909.

Residents Kristin Uhlig and Kyle Bailey, both of Gorham, were waving banners along the road to Ward 1 in Gorham in support of McLean.

Bailey predicted the presidential election outcome. “Barack Obama will get re-elected,” Bailey said.

Uhlig supported Obama because of his environmental concerns.

Brian Frost of Gorham also supported Obama.

“I think he’s more for the real person,” he said.

On the state’s marriage referendum, Gorham approved it 5,417-3,580. Buxton voters rejected the measure, 2,149-2,066.

In local referendums, Gorham voters favored spending up to $450,000 for a fire truck, 5,274-3,213, and approved borrowing $500,000 to renovate the former Little Falls School building and a recreation area.

In Buxton, voters approved four local referendums.

Gorham voters poured out with 9,141 ballots cast, a 78 percent turnout. In the 2008 presidential election, 9,057 Gorham voters went to the polls.

This year, more than 300 University of Southern Maine students participated in Gorham balloting, senior Nathan Polhemus, a campus Democratic Party leader, said. He was taking an exit poll of students Tuesday evening at Ward 2 in the Shaw Gym.

Polhemus said students had a lawyer observing the election to ensure that no USM students were disenfranchised.

The election marked the first time voting for University of Southern Maine sophomore Nate Rossignol.

“Try to get involved in the community,” Rossignol explained as to what drew him to the polls.

While Polhemus rallied campus students to vote, the number fell short of the 510 university students he said voted in 2008.

Buxton Town Clerk John Myers reported 4,412 ballots cast, representing a 74.1 percent turnout of 5,958 registered voters.

The Buxton record turnout was 4,682 in the 2004 presidential election. Tuesday, Buxton Deputy Town Clerk Brenda Brown at 7 p.m. had an eye on the tally and the clock, but Buxton fell 270 ballots shy of a record.

Before Buxton polls opened, Hiram Davis was elected moderator at 5:30 a.m. for a special town meeting necessary for a local election. Davis said it marked his 15th year as moderator and election warden.

In local election for trustee at Maine School Administrative District 6, Jacob Stoddard was a write-in candidate garnering 13 votes. No one was on the ballot for the vacant term that expires at the annual Buxton town meeting in June 2013.

Kristin Uhlig, left, and Kyle Bailey show their support for Andrew McLean Tuesday near the Ward 1 polls at the Gorham Middle School.   

Shonn Moulton