John Bellaire, 22, among youngest townwide winners in Winchester history
He won all eight precincts after a door-to-door campaign that emphasized direct voter contact over institutional backing.
Will Dowd | Staff Writer
13 YEARS OF DATA, ONE SATURDAY: Takeaways from Winchester’s override vote and the races that surrounded it
Winchester News reviewed precinct-level election results from every annual town election since 2014 — 13 years of data covering turnout, ballot questions, Select Board races, School Committee contests and Planning Board results — and compared them against the March 21 preliminary numbers. The 2026 results have not yet been certified by Town
With override rejected, Winchester shifts from campaigning to budget planning
After Winchester voters rejected an $11.5 million Proposition 2 1/2 override on Election Day, March 21, the governing question in town has shifted from persuasion to arithmetic. Select Board member Bill McGonigle, who served on the Yes for Winchester campaign, said the defeat has changed how he approaches
Solar, lodging tax, reserve policy anchor Winchester Spring Town Meeting warrant
The Winchester Select Board voted unanimously to approve a draft warrant for the town’s April 27 Spring Town Meeting, finalizing a slate of more than 40 articles after an evening spent adding co-sponsorships, debating governance proposals and removing one solar energy alternative. The March 16 session effectively closed the
Voters fill Town Meeting seats across Winchester; four incumbents unseated
The biggest shakeup came in Precinct 7, where two officeholders lost in an 11-person contest, matching Precinct 4 for the busiest race.
Winchester’s $11.5M override falls short; Prior returns to Select Board, Bellaire joins School Committee and Beliveau unseats Rossettos
The pattern broke. For seven straight votes stretching back to 2017, Winchester voters had said yes to every Proposition 2½ question put before them — school buildings, operating budgets, capital needs. The Lynch Elementary School project passed in 2023 with 82.4% support, the highest for any school ballot question in
State Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven joins crowded bid to succeed retiring Sen. Jehlen
A Somerville progressive launched a campaign for the Second Middlesex seat.
Winchester Town Meeting to take up major $6.2M solar expansion plan
The expansion would mark a significant leap for a town that has built its solar portfolio incrementally.
Winchester Select Board signals support for 7% water and sewer rate increase
The Winchester Select Board signaled support March 16 for a 7% increase in water and sewer rates for fiscal year 2027, with a formal vote expected at a public hearing scheduled for March 30. Consultant Mark Abrahams of the Abrahams Group presented three rate options to the board during a
For years, Winchester voters rejected nearly every tax override. Then the pattern flipped.
Editor’s note: An interactive visualization of all 33 Proposition 2½ ballot questions in Winchester from 1988 through 2023, including results by decade, override type and individual vote, is available here. From November 1988 through January 2023, Winchester voters went to the polls 25 times to decide 33 Proposition 2½
Process, pace set Prior and Brady apart in Winchester Select Board race
The contest highlights competing governing styles, one emphasizing consensus and process, the other urging faster action and visible dissent.
Yes for Winchester campaign works to build grassroots momentum ahead of March 21 vote
A volunteer campaign called Yes for Winchester is working to build community support for an $11.5 million override on the town’s March 21 election ballot, relying primarily on house parties, lawn signs and neighbor-to-neighbor outreach rather than traditional political infrastructure. The campaign began preliminary planning before the Select
Select Board candidates align on override, diverge on how to grow Winchester’s bottom line
Ahead of the March 21 election, incumbent Michelle Prior and challenger Shamus Brady offered contrasting styles, but frequent agreement at a candidate forum for the Select Board, with both backing the pending override vote while differing on how to generate revenue, speed housing development and attract businesses. The two are
School Committee candidates call for teacher reviews, clearer goals at Winchester forum
John Bellaire and Heather von Mering outlined competing visions for the town’s public schools at a candidate forum, clashing over technology in classrooms, special education access and teacher accountability ahead of the March 21 election. The two are vying for one three-year seat on the Winchester School Committee. The
Cambridge Vice Mayor Burnham Azeem pitches record of results in crowded 2nd Middlesex Senate race
Cambridge Vice Mayor Burhan Azeem says Massachusetts remains a great place to live — but one that too many residents can no longer afford. In an interview, the 29-year-old city councilor returned repeatedly to that tension. It is, he said, the central motivation behind his campaign for the open 2nd Middlesex
Winchester Select Board has full slate for April 27 Town Meeting
With Winchester’s Spring Town Meeting scheduled for April 27, the Select Board has spent weeks hashing out a slate of warrant articles that would commit the town to its most ambitious solar energy program yet, address long-standing drainage and dam infrastructure needs, bolster financial reserves and launch a new