Veterans out, newcomers in — Bristol school committee candidates react

Reich, Cabral and Ellsworth take top spots, as all three incumbents lose

By Christy Nadalin
Posted 11/8/18

By the time the dust settled Tuesday night, none of the three incumbents, Bill O’Dell, Paul Silva, or Diana Campbell, had retained their seats on the the Bristol Warren Regional School …

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Veterans out, newcomers in — Bristol school committee candidates react

Reich, Cabral and Ellsworth take top spots, as all three incumbents lose

Posted

By the time the dust settled Tuesday night, none of the three incumbents, Bill O’Dell, Paul Silva, or Diana Campbell, had retained their seats on the the Bristol Warren Regional School Committee.

Newcomer Carly Reich, with 3,472 votes, was the top vote-getter, as nine hopefuls campaigned for three available school committee seats representing Bristol in the regional school district. Longtime educator Victor Cabral earned 2,770 votes and the second seat, while Sheila Ellsworth captured the third with 2,612 votes.

Reached Wednesday morning, Ms. Reich was, of course, pleased with her victory. “My message must have connected with parents and families,” she said, though she admitted that she was disappointed that Rob Hancock did not also win a seat on the committee. “We have similar values,” she said.

I’m looking forward to getting to work addressing transparency in this district. There have been a lot of instances of bullying lately, and a lot of families are concerned. We need to bring more mental heath services and staff training to address this issue,” Ms. Reich said. “Students and families need to be heard.”

According to defeated incumbent Bill O’Dell, “Twenty years is a mighty good run. I have no complaints. The people of Bristol have been very kind to me. Like I said during the campaign, if I don’t win I plan on joining a parents’ group and continue doing for Colt Andrews what I have been doing for the entire district for the last 20 years. Good luck to the newly elected officials. You are all good people. See you soon.”

“I appreciate and am humbled by all the support of everyone who voted for me,” said Diana Campbell, who has served on the committee for the past 12 years. “I feel good about my tenure as a member of the school committee. I am leaving a district that is better than it was when I was first elected … The new members will have a good base from which to launch their own ideals, and the children of Bristol and Warren will be the beneficiaries. 

“I’m very proud of this district and will continue to support its programs and goals for as long as I am able.”

Ms. Campbell also took a moment to comment on the race in Warren, and congratulate Erin Schofield on her re-election. “She is a strong advocate for Warren’s children.”

Newcomer Rob Hancock, who, despite a strong performance at the candidate forum lost his bid for a seat, offered his congratulations to the winners, and said, “I’m very excited that there will be new voices on the committee and wish them all the best in their new roles. While I’m disappointed not to be joining the committee, this campaign has been an incredible experience. I truly enjoyed talking to residents all over Bristol about our schools and am eternally grateful to everyone who helped me along the way. I look forward to continuing to serve this great community in whatever way I can.”

"Congratulations to Reich, Cabral, and Ellsworth,” said Andrew Benn, who also failed in his bid for a seat. “Five of six Bristol school committee incumbents replaced in the past 24 months. The people clearly want change in leadership. Good luck to the newly elected members. Bring the change and improvement the people want.”

“I’d like to sincerely thank the thousands of people who voted for me,” Mr. Benn added. “I really appreciated your support.”

Here are the vote totals for all candidates: 

Carly Reich: 3,472

Victor Cabral Jr.: 2,770

Sheila Ellsworth: 2,612

Diana Campbell: 2,474

Paul Silva: 2,296

Andrew Benn: 2,189

Patrick Usher Jr.: 2,058

Robert Hancock: 1,692

William O’Dell: 1,202

2024 by East Bay Media Group

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.