Teas, McGuigan sworn in Thursday

Westport Select board’s first meeting is set for Monday; write-in wins commissioner of trust funds seat

By Ted Hayes
Posted 4/10/25

It’s official — voters sent Shana Teas back to the select board for three more years, and gave Jake McGuigan his first select board seat, in Tuesday’s town-wide election. Both were …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Register to post events


If you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here.

Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content.

Day pass subscribers

Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.


Teas, McGuigan sworn in Thursday

Westport Select board’s first meeting is set for Monday; write-in wins commissioner of trust funds seat

Posted

It’s official — voters sent Shana Teas back to the select board for three more years, and gave Jake McGuigan his first select board seat, in Tuesday’s town-wide election. Both were sworn in by town clerk Kristin Stinson Thursday morning.

With all five precincts reporting, and with mail and write-in votes included, official results gave Teas the victory challenger Keith Dias, a village shop owner who lives in the north end, by 928 to 725.

For the one-year seat created by the departure of freshman Rep. Steve Ouellette last month, McGuigan, a member of the conservation commission and chair of the offshore wind advisory committee, topped fire department member Weston Thurston II 898 votes to 712.

In all, 1,745 Westport residents cast ballots Tuesday.

Other races

All other races were uncontested. Winners include:

• David Toth didn’t appear anywhere on the ballot, but will serve as commissioner of trust funds after four residents signed his name as a write-in for the position — there were no official candidates for the seat.

Stinson said Toth was contacted after the election and has agreed to take on the three-year seat.

• Stephen J. Medeiros elected to a three-year term on the board of assessors, 1,218 votes.

• Pauline Sylvia-Medeiros elected to a one-year term on the board of assessors, 1,135 votes.

Tanja Ryden elected to a three-year term on the board of health, 1,178 votes.

• Ryan Costa was elected to a five-year term on the housing authority, 1,091 votes.

• Jack Wilkinson was elected fish commissioner, 1,257 votes.

• Elizabeth C. Pollin was elected landing commissioner, 1,096 votes.

Susan Costa and Elisa Gilroy were elected to three-year terms on the library board of trustees, 1,133 and 913 votes, respectively.

Kurt Hayes was elected to a three-year term as town moderator, 1,156 votes.

Manuel Soares Jr. was elected to a five-year term to the planning board, 1,029 votes.

Fred Melnyk Jr. and Caitlin Sampers were elected to three-year terms on thee school committee, 974 and 1,084 votes, respectively.

 

2025 by East Bay Media Group

Barrington · Bristol · East Providence · Little Compton · Portsmouth · Tiverton · Warren · Westport
Meet our staff
Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.