I'm still running for the Millis Select Board, but I've adjusted my plan slightly. In short, I'm pushing my campaign out for 12 months and running in the May 2026 election instead of May 2025. It was a tough choice, but I'll explain my rationale.

I decided to run in the 2025 election for four reasons. First, I want to serve and know I'll contribute positively to Millis. Second, I learned that some other people I felt would be a poor match for the Select Board might be running. Third, I was worried that the incumbent may not be a vocal advocate for the school renovation project, which is important to me. Lastly, the incumbent has significant financial holdings in town, which concerns many of us. It has the potential for a conflict of interest.

It turns out that the incumbent is a strong supporter of the school project. The other people who were rumored to run never did. I have also been unable to find any decision by the incumbent that seemed in her interest and not the town's. This relieves much of the time pressure.

The biggest reason for delaying until 2026 was my conversations with the people currently serving in town government. All the meetings were positive and productive, but a common theme was that the town needs some strong candidates in 2026 and maybe 2027. There are some questions about whether or not the other two Select Board candidates will run again. If that comes to pass, there would be almost no institutional memory on the board since it would be all new members. That concerns me. I'm all for fresh blood, but there's something to be said for having some members with history.

I will not be idle. I have two things going on.

I've been speaking with the Finance Committee, and there will be one or more openings I can help fill. Experience on the Finance Committee would be very valuable. Every town department has to present its budgets to the Finance Committee, making it one of the best ways to get a good overview of how the entire town works.

I'm also serving on the marketing subcommittee of the Millis Middle High School Building PAC, where we campaign for the school project. Not being on the Select Board actually gives me more freedom to campaign for the school project since I don't need to worry about conflicts of interest, open meeting laws, etc.

Another common refrain in my town meetings was that the incumbent would mount a strong defense. I'm slightly disappointed that I won't fight that fight. It would be fun. I might get what I want in the end. If there is an open seat in 2026, I'd expect more candidates to enter the race.

I'm also not stopping campaigning. Rather than a three-month campaign for the Select Board, I have 15 months of campaign time. I don't intend to waste it.