Mahon
DigginsUPDATED April 14: Select Board incumbents Len Diggins and Diane Mahon have won reelection in the 2023 town election on Saturday, April 1, according to unofficial preliminary returns.
For School Committee, incumbents Elizabeth Exton and Paul Schlichtman were also returned to office, joined by newcomer Laura Gitelson. Turnout was 22.3 percent.
See statements below, most recentlyfrom Diggins.
Here are the numbers for the main races and Town Meeting, as reported by the town clerk:
Exton
Gitelson
SchlichtmanFor two seats, Mahon tallied 4,577 votes and Diggins was close behind, with 4,540. Challenger Leone had 3,140.
For three seats, Exton drew 4,948 votes, Gitelson 4,200 and Schlichtman 4,006. The other challenger, Jill Kristin Krajewski, had 3,382.
Seven key seats were open -- two of them on the Select Board and three on the School Committee. Candidates for clerk and assessors were unopposed.
Leone
KrajewskiOther incumbents winning reelection for key seats were Town Clerk Julianna Brazile, who received 5,581 votes, and Board of Assessors' member Mary Winstanley O'Connor, 5,407.
Candidate comments
All candidates in contested races were to comment.
Diggins wrote on April 13:
"Let me just start with the following: It’s hard to express how supported and embraced I felt by the Arlington community during my campaign for reelection. Of course, we should be careful about reading too much into election results. Rather than feeling that there is a mandate on any given issue, my hope is that the voters supported my leadership style of engaging as much as I can with residents in order to exchange ideas and opinions in our efforts to craft effective solutions and to plot courses that ultimately move us closer to our goals which will ultimately make us a more vibrant community.
"Yes, I have ideas for policies that lead to the creation of more housing and more affordable housing options in Arlington as well as more safe and sustainable transportation options here. I also have opinions regarding how we should view overrides as opportunities to invest in our values instead of fearing them with a sense of dread. Thankfully, there is already support for many of my ideas and opinions, and indeed, in most cases I am supporting the approach of others’ as we try to achieve our shared goals.
"I will continue to be relentless in my efforts to make Arlington and its governing bodies more welcoming and accessible. I will try to answer as many questions and address as many concerns as I can, but inevitably I will fall short. At those times, I ask for your patience and forgiveness. Also, please keep in mind that when I take positions with which you don’t agree, it’s not because I don’t care about you or because I’m not listening to you. Working together doesn’t mean that we always agree. Indeed, the differences that belie our disagreements are often the source of creative solutions. Ultimately, however, decisions have to be made, and even if you don’t agree with the choices that I make, I hope that you understand the rationale that led to those choices. I also encourage you to keep making your cases for the alternative choice(s), because I’m almost always open to changing my mind.
"So, let us continue moving forward and engaging with each other in a respectful manner. Let us also keep in mind that “government” isn’t “them”; it is “us.” You, my friends, neighbors and fellow residents have elected me to make various decisions on your behalf, but I am no better than you. I become a more capable leader with your support; therefore, I appreciate all of you who spend time talking with me when I ask for advice. Over the next 3 years, in order to become a more effective member of the Select Board I will continue to need your support, and I’m confident that I can count on it.
"Again, I thank you, and I wish us all well!"
Leone wrote April 3:
"Dear Friends. I wish to express my thanks and gratitude for your encouragement to run, your efforts throughout the campaign, your support, both moral and financial, for holding signs and getting out the vote on election day and also for your votes. Thank you.
"We had close to 300 listed supporters, almost 100 financial donors and 50 volunteers standing out in the rain on Saturday, all from the diverse political spectrums that make Arlington the town we all know and love, all with the goal of keeping and making Arlington a better place.
"A component of our campaign was to encourage and support local business. We held our rallies in local restaurants and spent our campaign dollars locally, all in an effort to help revitalize our town’s economy and make Arlington the walkable town we were advocating for.
"Together, we, my campaign team, volunteers and supporters, ran a good clean campaign and kept the focus upon the issues that affect Arlington and our future. I wish the best of luck to Ms. Mahon and Mr. Diggins and to the entire Select Board as they work to resolve those issues that were raised in the campaign and offer my support in their efforts. Thank you."
Krajewski wrote April 4:
"Thank you, Arlingto,n for this opportunity to run for elected office.
"I first and foremost want to thank my grassroots team. On a very small budget, you were able to help get the message out to a large number of people, and I am incredibly grateful for that work.
"Second, I want to thank the voters who learned what my candidacy had to offer and allowed me to earn one of their votes. I really enjoyed talking to people about education and hearing how neighbors around town believe that we could work to ensure that all Arlington families have a joyful experience in the Arlington Public Schools.
"Finally, I am confident Arlington Public Schools are in good hands with the newly elected committee. You have elected a set of talented individuals with diverse viewpoints who all value the district’s mission and priorities. Paul, Liz and Laura, I learned so much going through this process alongside you, and I thank you for the many thoughtful conversations we had along the way."
Exton wrote April 3:
"Thank you to the voters for their support and for the opportunity to serve on the School Committee for another three years. We have a lot to look forward to, and there is much work to be done. I am excited and energized to do that work!
"Congratulations to Laura Gitelson and Paul Schlichtman; I am looking forward to welcoming Laura to the committee and to the work we will all do together in service to our schools.
"Thank you to Jill Krajewski for a thoughtful and productive campaign. She brought out the best in each of the candidates, and I hope she will continue to support our schools! Arlington is a town that works together to serve all of our students, teachers and families.
Gitelson wrote April 2:
"I want to express my gratitude to the voters of Arlington for giving me this opportunity. I look forward to serving the students, parents and all residents of Arlington over the next three years.
"I said many times during the campaign that the School Committee is a deeply collaborative group that moves things forward by working together. It turns out that that is also how campaigns work. I could not have done this without the support of so many community members, some of whom I met for the first time over the past several months.
"I’m grateful to all those who attended the candidate forums, came to meet-and-greets and emailed the campaign. Your thoughtful questions and concerns informed my thinking. I hope that you will keep sharing your ideas with me over the three years. Finally, I want to thank the rest of the candidates for making this campaign such a collegial and productive discussion of the ways in which we can all work together to support Arlington Public Schools.
"This is an exciting time for Arlington Public Schools. I’m eager to get to work with the rest of the School Committee to support the district’s five-year strategic plan, and to put action behind the vision of the Arlington Public Schools to 'be an equitable educational community where all learners feel a sense of belonging, experience growth and joy, and are empowered to shape their own futures and contribute to a better world.'"
Schlichtman wrote April 2:
"I want to thank the voters of Arlington for returning me to the School Committee. I congratulate Liz Exton on her reelection. I congratulate Laura Gitelson and look forward to joining my colleagues in welcoming her to the committee. I also want to congratulate Jill Krajewski on a well-run campaign, in which she made many new friends and gained considerable respect as an educational leader in town.
"We have many challenges on the horizon, and we have an excellent team to take them on."
See the specimen ballot for all precincts >>
Candidates - list of all candidates townwide and by precinct
Statements from Town Meeting candidates
Campaign-finance filings
Juli Brazile8-Day Filing
Len Diggins 8-Day Filing
Liz Exton 8-Day Filing
Laura Gitelson 8-Day Filing
Jill Krajewski 8-Day Filing
John Leone 8-Day Filing
Diane Mahon 8-Day Filing
Mary O'Connor 8-Day Filing
Paul Schlichtman 8-Day Filing
Campaign Finance Information - for town-wide candidates (includes link to register for online OCPF classes)
Campaign kickoffs, events held:
Diggins held March 19, with hosts Sharon Grossman, June Rowe and Barbara Thornton.
Leone held March 19, Punjab Restaurant.
Schlichtman held March 5, at Donut Villa.
Diggins held March 5, on Zoom.
Krajewski campaign kickoff held March 4.
Leone campaign kickoff held Feb. 22.
Laura Gitelson kickoff held Feb. 12.
Read an introductionto Town Meeting by Steve Revilak on the Equitable Arlington website.
Election FAQ
A FAQ document will be posted with information about the townwide races and Town Meeting.
Submit questions or comments if you have questions we can answer in the FAQ or on this webpage.
2023 election information from town website
Candidates respond to questions from ACMi >>
Candidate profiles from ACMi >>
Opinion
Schlichtman seeks School Committee
Diggins seeks reelection to Select Board
Krajewski seeks School Committee
Gitelson announces for School Committee
Leone seeks Select Board
This news summary was published Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, based on information from the town website. It has been updated many times since then, most recently April 14, 2023.
