Kenneth Blow Secures Council Seat as Old Orchard Beach Elects New School Board
Blow leads a tight four-way race for Town Council while two new directors take over Regional School Unit 23.
By Riya Zhao ·
Old Orchard Beach residents cast ballots Tuesday to fill vacancies on the Town Council and the Regional School Unit 23 board.
Kenneth Blow captured the top spot in the Town Council race with 3,434 votes, securing one of three available seats. Blow, a local business owner and 13-year council veteran, ran a dual campaign for the council and the House District 131 seat. In his voter guide responses, he outlined a platform focused on infrastructure upgrades and maintaining one of the lowest mill rates in southern Maine. He also emphasized the need for more affordable housing in the town.
The remaining council positions came down to a narrow margin among three challengers. Lori Gramlich tallied 2,995 votes, Shawn O’Neill collected 2,883, and Michael Tousignant received 2,867. None of the three losing candidates responded to the local press voter guide survey.
Voters also selected Peter Flaherty and Donna Moutsatsos as the new directors for Regional School Unit 23. Flaherty received 2,954 votes and Moutsatsos garnered 2,833, outpacing David Boudreau’s 1,934. The two winners will serve three-year terms on the board.
Kim McLaughlin, the incumbent town clerk, ran unopposed and received 4,571 votes. First elected in 2024, McLaughlin previously earned the Lorraine Fleury award from the Maine Senate for her work on election security and her collaboration with the local police department.
