Leonard B. Katzman

PORTSMOUTH — Leonard B. Katzman has his seat back on the Town Council.

The council voted 3-2 Tuesday night to appoint Katzman to fill the unexpired term of Michael Buddemeyer, who abruptly resigned his seat last month because he relocated his family to Florida due to a job commitment. Both men are Democrats.

Katzman, an attorney who has previously served on the Town Council, narrowly lost his seat in the 2020 election. He was nominated by council member J. Mark Ryan, and will serve out Buddemeyer’s term until the November 2022 election.

Council member Keith Hamilton, the sole Republican on the council, nominated a different candidate, Sondra Blank, a project lead engineer at Raytheon. Hamilton said while he enjoyed working with Katzman on the council, he preferred someone who may bring a fresher take on local issues to the table.

He added, “This council has always been, for lack of a better term, male-dominated.”

Blank’s nomination went down in defeat, however, in a 2-3 vote.

In addition to Katzman and Blank, six other residents threw their hats into the ring for the appointment. They were Cynthia Andreola, Ileene Chernoff, Michael DiPaola, Mary A. McDowell, Jonathan C. Mosier, and Theodore Pietz.

Council President Kevin Aguiar thanked all of them for submitting applications, told them to stay involved in town issues, and to consider running for office next year.