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Page 1 of 2  LaCourt  Mahon
The winners in the 2008 Town Election on April 5 were Diane Mahon and Annie LaCourt, incumbents for selectmen, as well as Joseph Curro, Joseph Curran and Leba Heigham for School Committee. The ballot question, reducing restaurant seating to allow alcohol, won by a large margin. The town clerk's office reported 6,732 voted out of 28,772 registered voters, or 23.4 percent.
April 5 election results including Town Meeting members (town Web site)
Selectmen incumbents Mahon and LaCourt beat back a challenge in the annual election from Tom Caccavaro. In the contested School Committee race, Curran, the incumbent, as well as first-time candidates Curro and Heigham topped challengers Joseph Tully and Judson Pierce.
According to unofficial numbers on the town's Web site, Mahon topped the selectmen's ticket with 4,580 votes and LaCourt followed with 3,452. Caccavaro, whose yard signs seemed to be everywhere around town, received 2,765 votes. Kenneth Marquis trailed with 539.
Election maps by Chris Wren of Arlington:
 Curro  Curran
Richard Murray won in the race for the Arlington Housing Authority, with 3,361 votes, beating Patricia Worden, who received 2,198 votes. Murray, a former selectman, had no visible campaign and did not attend the March 27 Candidates' Night.
In uncontested contests, Stephen Gilligan was relected treasurer (4,719), Corinne Rainville was reelected town clerk (4,831) and Mary Winstanley O’Connor was elected assessor (4,307).
The ballot question -- “Shall the Board of Selectmen be granted the authority to reduce from 99 to 50 the minimum seating capacity for restaurants and function rooms for the sale therein of all alcohol beverages to be consumed on the premises?” -- won by an overwhelming majority, with 3,980 votes. Voting no were 1,294.
The turnout this year, 23 percent, was not the lowest in recent years. Here's a rundown of the previous three, according to the town clerk's office:
2007 Town Election (22 percent); 2006 (32 percent); 2005 (25 percent).
For the 2003 Town Election, a few months before an override vote, the turnout was 19.56 percent.
In the selectman's race, experience offset resentment. Mahon, known for her constituent service, and LaCourt, for her technology savvy, withstood a challenge from Caccavaro, who opposed the incumbents after both voted last June to remove him from the Park & Recreation Commission. He lost despite endorsements from Selectmen Kevin Greeley and Jack Hurd.
Mahon, who topped all candidates in votes received for selectmen and for her Town Meeting seat, came in first in 19 precincts and second in the other two. LaCourt took Precinct 8 by 19 votes. Caccavaro won Precinct 13, with 18 more than Mahon.
For School Committee, Curran ran no campaign beyond asking supporters to make contributions to an Arlington High School fund that would offset sports fees. Yet his name recognition led him second place in votes. Blunt in his criticism of Superintendent Nate Levenson, Curran is expected to be named chairman of the committee Tuesday, when it reorganizes.
 Heigham
In a lengthy thank-you speech to his supporters, Curro, known for his work with the Human Rights Commission, pointed to Rehrig, with whom he had once been at odds and was now a backer. Curro, who lives near the Symmes Hospital, had represented the interests of Symmes' neighbors, while Rehrig had been a major player on the town side of the project.
Curro ran his School Committee campaign on a theme of trying to heal the division that has split the board for a year.
Among those Curro thanked were Ron Spangler and his wife, who had urged Curro to run.
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