LEYDEN — Leyden voters will have to settle a contested race for a three-year term on the Selectboard between incumbent Erica Jensen and newcomer Craig Ryan during the June 2 town election.
Erica Jensen
Jensen, 63, has been on the Selectboard since 2021, when she was elected to fill a vacancy on the board for the one-year remainder of the term. She was elected for a three-year term in 2023, and is seeking reelection for another three years.
Jensen moved to Leyden approximately 10 years ago from New York City, and previously lived in California. Outside of her time on the Selectboard, she works as a freelance producer in advertising. She said that she hopes to continue building upon the board’s work and expand her knowledge of municipal government.
“I really hope to continue where we’ve been going with Leyden, particularly with the schools to fine-tune the school budget,” Jensen said. “I think with the upcoming debt exclusion for Franklin Tech, it’ll be a pivotal time for the town.”
She said that over the past few years, she has learned a lot about how Massachusetts and municipal government operate, and the acronyms for various state departments and agencies, as well as the grant opportunities available. She believes that with her knowledge and experience, she can continue to support the town through what she anticipates to be a fiscally challenging time.
“I think that having some experience working with municipal government is important. Experience goes a long way, and I feel pretty secure in my experience,” Jensen said. “I absolutely love Leyden, and having Leyden stay the kind of town it is, is so important. But there’s a lot to do for it to run correctly, and having experience coming into a potentially tricky budget cycle will be key.”
Craig Ryan
Ryan, 37, moved to Leyden in 2023 and said that if elected, he hopes to bring fresh energy to the board and help however he can.
“Being a younger candidate, I think it would be good to get a fresh set of eyes on things and bring young energy,” Ryan said, “I’m newer to town, I built my house here a few years back and I just felt with my background in construction and tech I could help.”
He said that while building his house, he learned a lot about the town’s bylaws and believes that, with his construction experience, he could help oversee town construction projects. He also hopes that, as a member of the Selectboard, he could push for the return of the town having its own public safety agencies.
He added that he grew up in the neighboring town of Northfield, and plans to raise his newborn daughter in Leyden, and wants to see the community grow, while maintaining the small-town feel.
“It’d be nice to make Leyden a place where you didn’t have to drive 15 minutes to get gas or groceries,” Ryan said. “I’m not looking to come in and change the views and values of the town; I just feel a fresh set of eyes would be good.”
Also on the ballot are several uncontested races.
- Board of Health (three-year term): Craig Ryan
- Constable (three-year term): incumbent Gary Russell
- Library Trustee (three-year term): incumbent Thomas Raffensperger
- Moderator (one-year term): incumbent John Golden
- Planning Board (five-year term): incumbent Emily Yazwinski
- Tree Warden (one-year term): incumbent William Brooks
The polls will be open at the Leyden Town Offices at 7 Brattleboro Road from noon to 8 p.m.
