In one of the most contentious elections in Sandisfield memory, two incumbents won, another lost, and one candidate turned back a last-minute write-in effort.

Select Board Chair Steve Seddon was re-elected to a third term over first-time candidate Alex Russo. At the first Select Board meeting following the election, the Board turned to Seddon to serve another year as Chair. Veteran Selectman John Field announced he could not make the time to be Chair and the other Selectman, Jeff Bye, newly elected, faces a steep learning curve. The Board seemed poised to continue on the same trajectory as over the last few years, and the voters seemed to favor exactly that.

Jeff Bye, a candidate for the Select Board seat vacated by Bob Fedell, was initially running unopposed. Instead, he faced a write-in opponent whose candidacy was announced only a few days earlier by a post on Connect Sandisfield/Facebook, Dan Andrus, a former Town Fire Chief and current president of the nonprofit formerly known as Sandisfield Fire Department, Inc., was not on the ballot nor did he appear at a Meet the Candidate forum prior to the election. He did, however, receive 61 votes

Douglas Miner won a third term as Town Clerk, defeating Amanda Leavenworth who had recently resigned as Assistant Town Clerk.

In a surprise at the Board of Health, newcomer John Boulais beat current Chair Brigitte Ruthman by 45 votes, the closest of the contested races.

Three years ago, 236 voters cast ballots in a contested Select Board race, followed by dismal turnouts of 46 in 2024 and, in 2025, a meagere 27 voters, probably a historic low of 3.8 percent.

This year, that low point was followed by what could be a historic high of 38 percent of registered voters casting ballots. In all, 284 of 744 registered voters turned out on our Town Election Day.

Speaking with The Berkshire Eagle, Town Clerk Miner attributed the high turnout to "the multiple contested races." He added, "When it's that kind of turnout, the community as a whole wins every time. It's really cool when democracy works.