Somerville residents elected Kathryn Jennings to fill the third select board seat during a special election on Tuesday, Jan. 7.
Jennings received 61 of 129 total votes cast in the special election. Michael A. Tesseo Jr., who also appeared on the ballot, received 22 votes.
Undeclared write-in candidate Chris Johnson received 46 votes. Johnson previously served on the Somerville Select Board from 2018-2024 before losing a bid for reelection to Willard Pierpont, who now chairs the board.
In an interview with The Lincoln County News ahead of the election, Jennings said she was looking to increase communication and “positive” growth in Somerville. She is a former educator and worked as head teacher at The Riley School, a private elementary school in Rockport, for 27 years.
Jennings will fill the seat of third select board member, which was vacated when former chair of the Somerville Select Board Don Witmer-Kean resigned in September, citing a change of employment. The term is set to expire in 2026.
