By Christopher Haraden

Two weeks after securing his place on the ballot, Valerio Romano unexpectedly withdrew from the race for a five-year term on the Hull Redevelopment Authority in the May 18 annual town election. His departure leaves the other candidate – C. Anne Murray – without opposition; current member Charles Richardson also has no opponent for his three-year HRA term.

The decision by Romano, who officially took his name off the ballot by informing the town clerk of his intentions on Wednesday, is a surprising turn of events for the high-profile redevelopment authority. In a letter published in this week’s edition of the Times, he blamed “politics of politics” and cited a desire to “not battle the entrenched partisans who objected to the seat I decided to pursue.”

Romano, like Murray, had applied for the HRA vacancy created when Dennis Zaia resigned last year. Richardson was chosen from a field of seven to fill that position in September.

“When I was not appointed to fill the vacant seat, I set my sights on running for the HRA board this spring when the power to select a representative sat with the voters of Hull,” Romano wrote. “I know we can create a community-focused space that protects the beauty of the property, but to do so, we must bring people together in a constructive, collective way. … So rather than enduring the political process, I am opting not to run this year. But I am not giving up; I am simply choosing to protect the land through other means.” His full message is available on page 2 of the print edition of the Times.

Contested races on the May 18 ballot include five people seeking the two available three-year terms on the select board. Incumbent Jerry Taverna will be challenged by Michael A. Sampson, Susan Short Green, Patricia Lynn Cormier, and Christopher Niland.

One seat on the planning board will appear on the May ballot – the five-year position now held by Jeanne Paquin. She is being challenged by Lisa French.

Mark L. Kohn will face off against incumbent light board members Patrick Cannon and Jacob Vaillancourt for the two three-year seats available on the light board.

The school committee has two three-year terms available, with three candidates – current members Courtney Littlefield and Aleeza Hagerty and former member Ernest Minelli.

In addition to the HRA candidates, running unopposed are housing authority member Anne-Margaret MacEachern and assessor Pamela Sinton-Coffman, as well as Thu-Hang Tran and Amy Hyde, who are the only candidates for two three-year terms on the library board. Two positions on the board of assessors attracted no candidates by the deadline, which will leave two of the five slots on the board of assessors empty – unless candidates emerge with write-in campaigns.

The Hull members of the League of Women Voters are sponsoring a candidates’ forum on Tuesday, April 21 at 7 p.m. in the Exhibition Room at Hull High School. All candidates on the ballot have been invited to participate, and the public is invited to suggest questions to be asked during the Q&A period.

Each candidate will make a two-minute statement, beginning with candidates for offices that are uncontested. Candidates in contested races will have the additional opportunity to answer questions posed by the moderator, so long as at least two candidates in the race appear at the forum. All candidates for a contested seat will be asked the same questions in rotating turns and limited to one minute. Send questions for offices with contested seats by April 17 to HullCandidatesNight2026@gmail.com.

The last day to register to vote in the May 18 annual town election is Friday, May 8.

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