Votes Close in Race for Town Council, School Committee

Both races for town council and school committee in North Kingstown are still tight as candidates await the final results. Though all 11 precincts in town have been reported, election officials still have to factor in the 1,100 or so mail-in/absentee ballots, which are expected to be counted by Wednesday morning.

(Check back later for official results once the mail-in ballots have been counted.)

According to North Kingstown Town Clerk Jeannette Alyward, vote turnout was 63 percent with about 13,000 votes cast.

Town Council

Six votes separate the fifth- and sixth-place vote-getters in the race for Town Council. With only five seats on the council and 14 candidates, mail-in ballots will play a big role in who gets to sit at the council table in December. According to the Board of Elections, a mere 66 votes separate Welch (fourth place), Hueston (fifth place) and O'Sullivan (sixth place).

For Hueston, the close race isn't anything new as she lost by just one vote in a 2002 run for school committee. For now, she says she will wait and see what the mail-in ballot results bring.

As of Tuesday night's unofficial figures, Dolan is once again the top vote-getter for council with 9.6 percent of the vote and 5,477 votes cast. Behind her is fellow Republican Kerry McKay. In third is newcomer Kevin Maloney, who ran as an Independent.

"I find it hard to believe that voters voted back in several incumbents," said Welch. "I felt they should have been held accountable for some of the actions they took."

O'Sullivan, who currently sits in sixth place just six votes behind Hueston, stated he was satisfied with the results thus far.

"I came in sixth out of 14," said Sullivan. "I'll sleep very well tonight knowing that."

Whatever the makeup of the council will be once the dust settles, McKay remains confident that the five members will be able to work together. 

"These are good people who have good intentions just like me," said McKay. "We have to get everyone in the community working together."

School Committee

Things are also close at the cut-off for North Kingstown School Committee as just 135 vote separate Lynda Avanzato and Augustine Manocchia. 

Newcomer Cheryl Clarkin (an Independent endorsed by the North Kingstown Republican Town Committee) received the most votes for school committee.

"I'm excited to do this," added Clarkin. "We have a group of people now with the council and school committee who get along and have a similar vision."