Isabel Gomes-McCann wins contested school committee race after recount
Isabel Gomes-McCann, fourth from the left, celebrates with her family and friends after the victory. Photos by Mari Huglin 
The Rochester Senior Center was packed during the recount with four volunteers watching two recounters at four separate tables. 
The Rochester Board of Registrars sat at the front of the room. 
Barabara Lee and Isabel Gomes-McCann, left, watch as the final ballots are counted. 
Volunteers were asked to watch the ballots be recounted at the Rochester Senior Center.
Isabel Gomes-McCann, fourth from the left, celebrates with her family and friends after the victory. Photos by Mari Huglin
The Rochester Senior Center was packed during the recount with four volunteers watching two recounters at four separate tables.
The Rochester Board of Registrars sat at the front of the room.
Barabara Lee and Isabel Gomes-McCann, left, watch as the final ballots are counted.
Volunteers were asked to watch the ballots be recounted at the Rochester Senior Center.
ROCHESTER — Isabel Gomes-McCann has won the contested seat for Rochester Memorial School Committee after an official recount on Wednesday, June 17.
On Wednesday, May 27, Gomes-McCann and Barabra Lee originally tied for a position on the Rochester Memorial School Committee after an extra ballot was hand-counted. Gomes-McCann then submitted a petition for a recount.
Town Clerk Margie Barrows announced the final results of the election at the recount which was held at the Rochester Senior Center.
Incumbent Kate Duggan received 625 votes, Gomes-McCann received 544, Lee received 543 votes and Stacie Noble-Shriver received 480 votes.
Barrows announced 2,266 ballots were cast in the election.
After the results were announced, Lee thanked the town, election officials and volunteers present.
“I just want to thank you for your time,” Lee said. “We really appreciate it.” She also congratulated Gomes-McCann on her win.
Gomes-McCann said she was grateful for her win and shocked at the one vote difference. She said she was not worried about the process at all saying she trusts the town and election officials.
“I really believed that just letting the process work itself out is the beauty of democracy,” Gomes-McCann said.
The newly elected school committee member said she was excited and eager to jump into the issues facing Rochester Memorial School right now including the budget and the submitted complaints of sexual harassment on a student.
Gomes-McCann reiterated that she looks forward to being seated and plans to keep the school committee “completely apolitical”.
