It showed that the experiment of the last two years has failed.”

Council member Juan Carlos Payero, on three incumbents apparently losing their seats

How they voted

Here are the Portsmouth results as of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night:

Portsmouth Town Council

(Top 7 win seats)

John Mark Ryan (D) 4,085 (9.58%)

Juan Carlos Payero (D) 4,058 (9.51%)

Leonard B. Katzman (D) 4,005 (9.39%)

David P. Fiorillo (D) 4,005 (9.39%)

M. Conley Wake Zani (D) 3,909 (9.16%)

John G. McDaid (D) 3,684 (8.64%)

Keith Hamilton (R) 3,528 (8.27%)

Alexander Lewis Roberts (D) 3,515 (8.24%)

Mary A. McDowell (I) 3,125 (7.33%)

David M. Gleason (R) 3,099 (7.26%)

Sharlene M. Patton (R) 2,772 (6.5%)

David G. Reise (R) 2,738 (6.42%)

Write-ins 138 (0.32%)

Question 6: School Construction and Renovation Projects

Approve: 4,953 (65.46%)

Reject: 2,614 (34.54%)

Question 7: Non-Partisan Town Council and School Committee

Reject: 4,708 (62.71%)

Approve: 2,799 (37.29%)

PORTSMOUTH — Democrats had plenty to celebrate Tuesday night as they appeared headed for a commanding 6-1 majority on the Portsmouth Town Council, while voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposal for nonpartisan municipal elections and gave their blessing to a $41 million school construction bond.

At Ragged Island Brewing Co., a raucous crowd of Democrats watched the election returns roll in on a large television screen, cheering as their candidates steadily climbed the rankings and several Republican incumbents slipped out of contention.

By 9:30 p.m., Democrats occupied six of the seven winning positions in the 12-candidate council race, with Republican Council President Keith Hamilton clinging to the final seat by just 19 votes over Democrat Alexander Lewis Roberts.

The results remained unofficial, with additional ballots still to be counted.

But Juan Carlos Payero, an incumbent council member and chairman of the Portsmouth Democratic Town Committee, was ready to celebrate.

With 612 mail ballots still outstanding, Payero told the crowd he felt confident Democrats would control the council for the next two years.

He also celebrated the decisive approval of the school bond and rejection of nonpartisan elections.

"That's a mail ballot-proof margin," he declared to cheers. "We're ready to (expletive) get to work."

Incumbents take a beating

The election marked a dramatic reversal for the council's Republican and independent members.

Incumbent Mary A. McDowell, an independent who was the second-highest vote-getter in 2024, finished ninth in the preliminary results with 3,125 votes. Republican incumbents Sharlene M. Patton and David G. Reise finished 11th and 12th, respectively, with 2,772 and 2,738 votes.

All three belong to Portsmouth Concerned Citizens, a local taxpayer watchdog group that has frequently clashed with local Democrats over town spending and other issues.

Republican Council Vice President David M. Gleason was also on the losing end, finishing 10th with 3,099 votes.

Hamilton, meanwhile, was the lone Republican in the top seven, with 3,528 votes to Roberts' 3,515 — a margin narrow enough that the final outcome remained uncertain.

Democrat John Mark Ryan, who lost his seat in 2024, led the field with 4,085 votes, followed by Payero with 4,058.

Former council member Leonard B. Katzman and Democrat David P. Fiorillo were tied at 5,005 votes each, followed by M. Conley Wake Zani with 3,909 and John G. McDaid with 3,684.

Town Council Vice President David Gleason chats with Scott Boyd (holding his dog, Mona) outside the CFP Arts, Wellness, and Community Center in Common Fence Point Tuesday morning. Gleason was unsuccessful in his bid for another term.

RICHARD W. DIONNE, JR.

The seven highest vote-getters will serve two-year terms once the results are finalized.

Cheers as results shifted

The mood at Ragged Island changed dramatically as the evening progressed.

When the first returns appeared on the Rhode Island election website, Republicans and McDowell held several of the leading positions.

But as more votes arrived, Democrats began moving up the standings.

Around 8:40 p.m., Payero announced that McDowell had dropped from eighth to ninth place, prompting cheers from the crowd.

Ten minutes later, an even louder celebration erupted as early-voting results came in. Payero moved ahead of Hamilton, and Democrats occupied six of the seven winning positions, with about 37% of the vote reporting.

Katzman, who resigned his council seat in May 2024 to care for his ailing wife, Jhodi Redlich, was among those celebrating. Redlich died in March 2025 at age 65.

The former Democratic town committee chairman credited the party's teamwork.

"It was a very much a collaborative team effort. A lot of work went into this. I give a lot of credit to our chair, Carlos, Linda Ujifusa, Dave Fiorillo. A lot of people pitched in."

Still, at about 8:30 p.m., Katzman was reluctant to predict the outcome too early.

Sally Smith and John McDaid were in Common Fence Point Tuesday morning canvassing for M. Conley Wake Zani. McDaid and Wake Zani both won seats on the town council.

RICHARD W. DIONNE, JR.

"In 2008, Obama swept the county; Democrats lost the council. I gave up my crystal ball long ago," he said.

Nonpartisan elections rejected

Voters also delivered decisive verdicts on two local ballot questions.

Question 7, which would have removed party affiliations from town council and school committee ballots, suffered an equally decisive defeat.

Voters rejected the proposal 4,708 to 2,799 or 62.7% to 37.3%.

The question had generated considerable debate, with supporters arguing that nonpartisan elections would give independent candidates a fairer opportunity and reduce the influence of political parties. Opponents maintained that party labels provide useful information to voters.

McDowell had been a leading advocate of putting the question before voters.

Question 6, authorizing the town to borrow up to $41 million for school construction and renovations, passed with 4,953 votes, or 65.5%, in favor and 2,614, or 34.5%, opposed.

The borrowing would finance improvements at Portsmouth Middle School, Portsmouth High School and the town's two elementary schools. The projects have received state approval for reimbursement of at least 35% of eligible costs.

Sen. Linda Ujifusa and Glenn Allen watch the results come in at Ragged Island Brewing Company Tuesday night. Ujifusa ran unopposed this year, as did other General Assembly members who represent Portsmouth.

JIM MCGAW

'The experiment ... has failed'

After the celebration, Payero said the results represented a vote of confidence in the Democrats' vision for Portsmouth.

"First and foremost, thank you to the voters of Portsmouth," he said, adding that they had shown confidence in the party's leadership and its ability to make meaningful changes.

He praised the Democratic slate for representing communities throughout town, but also offered a pointed assessment of the outgoing council.

"It showed that the experiment of the last two years has failed," Payero said.

Looking ahead, he said Democrats intend to rebuild public trust and deliver results.

"What we're going to do in the next two years is gain the trust of our voters, show that we are going to put Portsmouth back in the right track and actually deliver results that benefit every resident in this town regardless of the party."

For the Democrats gathered at Ragged Island, Tuesday night was a celebration. The harder work, Payero made clear, begins when the new council takes office.

Voter turnout was at 53%, with 7,821 ballots cast and 14,720 registered voters.