2026 April Town Election Review

March/April 2026
• As the town prepares to open it polls, we look back at three of the key races.

The finish line is fast approaching for those contending for local offices. The Town Clerk’s office is staging itself to process advance ballots and the town is prepared to open the doors to the polls on April 14th.

In the weeks leading up to the election, we spoke with candidates running for positions on both the School Committee and the Select Board.

The Needham Select Board has two three-year seats open this year. Municipal Producer Melissa Marchese spoke with Cathy Dowd (Incumbent), Rich Adduci, and Bill Dermody about why they are running and their thoughts on important issues in Needham.

The Needham School Committee also has two three-year seats open this year. We sat down with Michael Greis (Incumbent), Matthew Spengler (Incumbent), and Lauren Soper to discuss their qualifications and important topics related to the Needham Public School District.

Finally, the Needham Planning Board has two candidates vying for a five-year seat. At the Candidate’s Night held by the League of Women Voters of Needham, Gary Lesanto and Oscar Mertz presented what they would like to see the Planning Board accomplish in the near future.