An incumbent and a political newcomer were elected Tuesday to fill openings on the Winthrop Town Council.
Sarah Fuller, the council’s co-chairwoman, won re-election comfortably with 1,985 votes. Linda MacDonald, who had never before held an elected office, edged incumbent Donald Ellis by a vote of 1,424 to 1,383.
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“I’m so excited,” MacDonald said. “I didn’t think I had a snowball’s chance.”
MacDonald thanked those who voted for her and said she wants to spend a lot of time listening to their concerns and vision for the town.
“I want to listen to people to see what their side is,” she said. “I think that’s so important.”
Fuller said she will work to accomplish goals outlined in the 2010 comprehensive plan and to make the town inviting to families and businesses. She said maintaining a strong school system is vital.
“It’s a great honor to be re-elected,” Fuller said. “There’s still a lot of work to be done to improve our programs and infrastructure.”
Fuller, 38, is finishing her second three-year term on the council. She serves with various organizations, such as the Kennebec Land Trust, but the Town Council is her first elective position.
Fuller has a bachelor’s degree in geography from George Washington University and a master’s degree in public relations from the University of Miami. She runs Fuller Ink, a Winthrop-based public relations and marketing company.
Fuller has said the town has struggled to continue to provide services while keeping tax increases in check.
MacDonald, 70, is a graduate of Winthrop High School, MacDonald moved in 1963 to take a government job in Washington, D.C. She was a Navy wife for 13 years, during which time she traveled extensively, before moving back to Winthrop in 2000 to be with her mother.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in mental health and human services. A licensed social worker, MacDonald, who is not related to former town councilor William MacDonald, continues to work for the state Department of Health and Human Services as a community development specialist.
MacDonald said she ran for council because she is concerned about senior citizens who are being squeezed by increasing property taxes.
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