Richards Earns Re-election to First Selectman Seat
Town sees more than 40-percent voter turnout, Degostin, Budd, Beermann earn Library Board of Trustees spots
EASTFORD — Only two contested races were featured in the town’s Municipal Election on Tuesday, Nov. 4. When the dust settled, incumbent First Selectman Deborah A. Richards was re-elected — with selectmen Paul Torcellini and Ashlyn Ellsworth also maintaining their seats — while Republicans Mary K. Degostin (348), Seth H. Budd (337), and Armen A. Beermann (295) defeated Democrat Meghan Martinez (245) to earn the three available spots on the Library Board of Trustees.
According to Town Clerk Johanna Wolfe, out of the 1,290 registered voters in Eastford, 526 showed up at the polls — a 40.7-percent voter turnout. This is in contrast with the November 2024 presidential and legislative election, where Eastford boasted a nearly 86-percent voter turnout (1,073 out of 1,250 registered voters, 85.84 percent).
Statewide, according to the CT Secretary of State as of Friday, Nov. 7, out of the 2,189,296 registered Connecticut voters, 788,355 reported to the polls, a 36.01-percent voter turnout. This is an increase over the 2023 Municipal Election statewide, which saw a voter turnout of 33.7 percent. In 2021, the voter turnout was reported at 32.1 percent across Connecticut. In Eastford specifically, voter turnout was reported at 26.4 percent in the November 2023 Municipal election, while in 2021, it was reported at 32.5 percent, so November’s result indicates a significant increase.
Richards, who was cross-endorsed by both the Republican Town Committee and the Democratic Town Committee, defeated Michael Schultz, who ran as a petitioning candidate. Richards won by a tally of 335-164.
“Thank you, Eastford residents, for your continued support,” Richards said in a statement to the Communicator. "I am deeply grateful and humbled by your trust, and I feel a strong sense of responsibility to our community. In the months ahead, we will face important challenges — including costly infrastructure repairs and unfunded state mandates. I am confident that, by working together, we can meet these challenges head-on and build lasting solutions that benefit all residents. Your continued involvement and dedication are vital to Eastford’s strength and success. I look forward to working alongside the Board of Selectmen, our committees and commissions, and all residents, to provide effective, responsible, and fair leadership over the next two years. Congratulations to everyone stepping into leadership roles. Together, we will help Eastford continue to grow and thrive."
The Library Board of Trustees race was the only other contested race on the ballot, as the races for Selectman, Town Clerk, Town Treasurer, Tax Collector, Board of Education, Board of Assessment Appeals, and Constable were all uncontested, so everyone on the ballot earned a spot on their respective boards.
The Board of Education will see a new face, as Nancy Neff (267) earned her place on the board. She will replace outgoing member Jessica Perry.
“I am incredibly humbled and grateful for the trust the community has placed in me,” Neff told the Communicator. “We all understand the profound role of our schools, echoing the conviction of Nelson Mandela: ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ I am truly grateful to live in a community, and to have the opportunity to work alongside fellow board members, who share this unwavering commitment.”
Full Municipal Election results are as follows:
Eastford Municipal Election Results
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025
Note: * indicates winner
First Selectman
*Deborah A. Richards (R): 335
Michael D. Schultz (Petitioning Candidate): 164
Selectman
*Ashlyn Ellsworth (D): 243
*Paul A. Torcellini (R): 241
Town Clerk
*Johanna Wolfe (R): 478
Town Treasurer
*Martha L. Burgess (R): 395
Tax Collector
*Christine E. Hustus (R): 380
Board of Education
*Lauren J. Barlow (R): 368
*Stephen W. Bowen (R): 362
*Nancy L. Neff (D): 267
*Michael Bilica (D): 260
Board of Assessment Appeals
*Robert Johnson (D): 341
Constables
*Christopher D. Bowen (R): 312
*Nathaniel F. Fabian (R): 258
*Arvind Shaw (D): 212
*Randal Chinnock (D): 180
Library Board of Trustees
*Mary K. Degostin (R): 348
*Seth H. Budd (R): 337
*Armen A. Beermann (R): 295
Meghan Martinez (D): 245
Adam Minor photo
