ORANGE — A fountain of youth has struck the Orange Board of Selectmen.
Ryan W. Mailloux, 24, ran away with Tuesday’s election, securing 1,767 votes, according to official results from Town Clerk Nancy Blackmer. Opponent Robert J. Stack earned 712 and Richard T. Kwiatkowski, a former town administrator, got 667.
Mailloux said he was told of unofficial results via a text message. He told The Recorder he attributes the win to an incredible team of supporters.
“I’m absolutely thrilled,” he said, adding that he was encouraged to see such a high voter turnout at the Orange Armory. “I’m ready to get to work.”
Mailloux said he is excited to bring some positive changes to town. He said he was not yet sure when he would be sworn into office. Mailloux turned 24 years old on Oct. 21, making him 34 years younger than Kwiatkowski and 40 years younger than Stack. Both opponents said Mailloux ran a great campaign and they wish him well.
“He’s a young individual that will bring new ideas and new things to the town,” Kwiatkowski said. “I hope he does great things for the community.”
Mailloux previously said Orange is blessed to be paired so closely with Athol, though he would oppose any attempt to commercialize the way Athol has, most notably with the big-box stores in North Quabbin Commons. He said he wants to see Orange develop more of a small-business village concept.
He said, however, he sees no reason why Orange can’t bring a large manufacturer to town.
Mailloux said he graduated from Ralph C. Mahar Regional School (where he served as Key Club lieutenant governor) in 2011 and went on to earn an associate’s degree in fashion merchandising from Bay State College in Boston. He said he now works for a bank, though he declined to name which one.
The town coupled the special election to replace Walter Herk, who resigned on Aug. 31, with the presidential one. Town Clerk Nancy Blackmer said this made efforts very difficult on Tuesday. She explained every voter had to check in at separate tables for each election, fill out two ballots, and return the ballots at separate tables.
“Having one machine and two ballots, it’s like having twice as many people,” she said. “It’s delaying things.”
Blackmer said the town received 856 early ballots for the presidential election and 786 for the local one and they were processed throughout the day as time allowed. There were also roughly 100 absentee ballots, she said.
You can reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 258. On Twitter: @DomenicPoli