November 9, 2017

Nurse, 26, upsets longtime mayor with ‘grandkids older than she is’

Bangor Daily News- In an upset victory Tuesday night, Belfast’s incumbent mayor, who has held political offices at the state and local level for more years than his challenger has been alive, has been ousted.

Samantha Paradis, 26, a registered nurse at Waldo County General Hospital and now Belfast’s mayor-elect, took on Walter Ash, a 72-year-old retired mechanic and lifelong Belfast resident who was vying for his fifth term as mayor.

When the votes were tallied, Paradis earned 1,264 votes to Ash’s 959, according to the city’s official election results. She’s expected to take her oath of office during a ceremony Monday.

“I want to foster a culture at city hall that’s welcoming and where people can come in and share their concerns and issues,” Paradis said Tuesday morning.

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