Labdon Tops Semple In Brewster Select Board Race

BREWSTER – For Laurel Labdon, the fourth time was the charm.

 At Tuesday’s annual town election, Labdon beat competitor Bruce Semple, 1,095-959, for a single seat on the select board. Labdon had fallen short in previous campaigns in 2018, 2023 and 2024, missing the mark by just five votes in the most recent contests. But on Tuesday she enjoyed victory with an unimpeachable 136-vote margin, according to an unofficial vote tally released at the polls Tuesday night.

 “I think the fact that I would be the only native Cape Codder” on the board resonated with voters, Labdon said. Had Semple been elected, the select board would have been composed entirely of retirees who came from off-Cape, and while their service is of great value, the board needs the perspective of a local person, she said. But it was also her platform of fiscal conservatism that voters embraced, Labdon said.

 As a candidate, Labdon advocated for “trying to slow down some of the spending, and take a breath and pay down some of our debts before we start any new discretionary projects, for sure. People are getting squeezed from all sides,” she said. Labdon specifically cited the development of the former Sea Camps properties. “There’s a lot of exciting opportunities that these properties can afford the town. But right now, we can’t afford those,” she said. The town has urgent spending needs with the schools and for contract obligations with first responders, she noted.

 Speaking after the polls closed Tuesday, Semple thanked his wife and family and campaign team for their support, and said he enjoyed the campaign and the opportunity it afforded to talk with voters “and hear their perspectives. I’m looking forward to just continuing my community service,” he said. Since moving to town in 2017, Semple has held a number of volunteer positions on local committees, commissions and organizations. “Brewster’s a great place. I want to continue to make a difference, as I have done,” he said.

 Voters approved three Proposition 2½ overrides Tuesday. One authorized an additional $1.25 million to support the town’s operating budget, a measure that passed 1,105-959. A second allowed an extra $180,000 to fund the elementary school’s budget, and the third authorized $550,000 more for the town’s share of the Nauset regional school budget; both passed by similar margins.

 With 2,093 residents casting ballots Tuesday, turnout was just over 23 percent of registered voters.