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Politics & Government

Rojas Thrilled, Humbled with Razor-Thin Victory

Considering remaining on Planning Board until Cushing Village proposal is decided.

It was but when he results came in at about 8:20 p.m. from Precinct 6, Andy Rojas said he knew he had edged out the School Committee's Dan Scharfman for the open seat on the Board of Selectmen.

“It was exciting as the numbers came in, precinct by precinct, and I knew it was going to be very close,” said Rojas.

“Right now, it’s difficult for me to consider all the responsibility I will have but I know I will do my best for the town.”

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Winning by 32 votes of roughly 4,400 cast – a margin of less than 1/10 of a percent – taught Rojas that every single thing he did throughout the campaign including talking to residents, attending forums, appearing in debates and on the Belmont Media Center forum hosted by Belmont Patch, was absolutely necessary.

“I had to do everything I did to get those 32 votes for the win and had to give it my all,” Rojas said.

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At his victory party, Rojas talked to supporters who milled about the house and also received congratulations from State Sen. – and former Belmont selectman – Will Brownsberger. 

He also took a call from his son, Sammy, at about 9:20 p.m. who called to ask how the election turned out.

“We won,” Rojas told Sammy, who is an 18-year-old freshman at St. Michael’s College and had cast his first vote ever for his father in this election.

The Drew Road resident said he is thrilled and humbled by the support he received and particularly as the first minority candidate to run for Selectman and being the first Hispanic to serve on the board.

A more diverse Belmont

“It’s very important to me that Belmont can demonstrate its diversity through its Board of Selectmen,” said the Havana-born Rojas at his home an hour after the final numbers came in from the Town Clerk’s office.

The Somerville-based architect immediately congratulated Scharfman after the final tally, saying their race showed that two candidates can certainly run civil campaigns.

Rojas said he is tired and would like some time to de-compress.

But he’ll have to do it quickly because his first meeting as the newly-elected selectman is Wednesday, April 4.

And in some fashion, Rojas has already started to work on his new position as he ponders the decision of whether to remain a member of the Planning Board.

“Sami (Baghdady) and I are discussing that,” he said.

“Sami (chairman of the Planning Board) would like me to keep working on the board through the deliberation of .”

Baghdady, who was at the party, pointed out that the service Rojas has provided to the Planning Board as an architect has been invaluable and that if he were to resign at this time, the team for developer Chris Starr would need a unanimous decision of four members.

If Rojas remains for the duration of seeing the project through, Baghdady said, the developer will have the flexibility of an additional vote.

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