Community Corner

Rojas Elected to Selectmen in Squeaker; Lougee, Griffiths on School Committee

Roughly a quarter of electorate voted in 2012 Town Election; Millane to Assessors.

In one of the closest races in Belmont election history, the Planning Board's Andres Rojas defeated School Committee member Dan Scharfman by a mere 32 votes, 2,165 to 2,133, for a seat on the Belmont Board of Selectmen.

Rojas replaces Angelo Firenze on the three-member board.

Belmont saw 4,413 votes cast as 26.1 percent of registered voters entered one of the town's eight polling stations on Monday, April 2.

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The victory is historic as the New York-born Rojas – a Cambridge-based architect – becomes the first Hispanic and first minority member of the Board. 

Board of Selectman  votes (unofficial) Andy Rojas 2,165 (50.29%) Dan Scharfman 2,133 (49.55%)

The School Committee will see its first educator elected in many years as Pascha Griffiths finished a close second to leading vote getter Ann Lougee. Matt Sullivan, who abandoned a run for Selectmen to run for the School Committee, finished a distant third. 

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Griffiths victory is also noteworthy as she has been a resident of Belmont for less than three years. Lougee will keep her seat on the board, which she was appointed in October. 

School Committee votes (unofficial) Pascha Griffiths 2,708 (37.64%) Anne Lougee 2,894 (40.22%) Matt Sullivan 1,588 (22.07%)

Martin Millane will retain his seat on the Board of Assessors by beating back a challange from Gerard Natoli, 1,979 to 1,679.


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