ELECTIONS:

WHEN AND WHERE: June 9, 2026, 8am-8pm, Village Fire Station, 32 North St.

• State Primary Election
• Annual Town Meeting
• RSU #21 Budget Validation Election

SELECT BOARD
Two candidates running for one seat

MARY BETH GILBERT, incumbent candidate

Tell us a little about yourself. I live in Kennebunkport with my husband, Dave. As avid outdoors people, we appreciate Maine’s unique personality and our strong local community. Raised by parents of the “Greatest Generation,” I learned the values of hard work and service, principles that guide my life today.

I retired following a 35-year career at Xerox. Starting as a Mechanical Engineer, I earned an MBA and eventually led a global business. These experiences shaped me into a collaborative leader and a critical thinker, relying on fact-based decision-making.

Before serving as your Select Board representative, I served on the Town’s Budget Board and Zoning Board of Appeals. Currently, I am also a KEMS board member. I remain dedicated to serving our town with transparency and integrity.

What is your reason for running for this office? For the last three years, it has been my honor to serve as your Select Board representative. Our work involves supporting the Town Manager and staff, addressing immediate issues, and planning for the future. I evaluate every decision based on its impact on the entire community, striving to understand all perspectives and find solutions that maintain balance.

It is important for our coastal community that all voices are heard and all impacts are considered. We are a town with a working fishing industry, full-time and part-time residents, businesses, and tourists. I have proven that I work hard for you and respect all points of view. I would be grateful for the chance to continue to serve you.

3. What are your priorities should you be elected? I will continue working collaboratively to support the town’s needs while maintaining strong fiscal discipline.  This means continuing best practices, planning for future capital equipment and infrastructure improvements, supporting the departments, while limiting increases in municipal property taxes.

Our community benefits from a strong, supportive workforce, especially within our Police Department, volunteer Fire Department, and KEMS.  I will continue working in partnership with the Town Manager, the KEMS Board, and department leaders to ensure the longevity of these organizations.

Equally important is responsible stewardship of our natural resources and community character. While recent state housing density laws are well intentioned, we must adapt these broad policies thoughtfully to meet the unique needs of our coastal town and preserve our local character.

ANDREW WELCH, candidate

Tell us a little about yourself. I am a lifelong resident of the Kennebunks with deep roots in this community. My career is defined by service, beginning with my time in the U.S. Army, including a deployment to Iraq. Locally, I served as a Captain on the fire department until a service-related injury required a career pivot. I also served the town as a Code Enforcement Officer, where I gained a deep understanding of local regulations and community standards.

Beyond my professional experience, I am married with a daughter currently in college. I bring a disciplined, mission-oriented perspective to my work, combined with a local’s insight and a proven track record of leadership and resilience. I am eager to apply these diverse skills to a new professional challenge.

What is your reason for running for this office? I am running for the Selectboard because I want to continue my service to the Kennebunkport in the most impactful way possible. As a local who has lived here my entire life, I believe a vital demographic—long-time residents and our local business owners—has been overlooked in recent years.

While I fully support growth and welcoming new people into our community, we must ensure this progress does not come at the cost of our identity. I am committed to finding a balance that embraces the future while protecting the traditions that make our town unique. With my background in municipal governance and leadership, I will work to ensure every voice is heard, preserving our heritage while building a sustainable, inclusive future for all.

What are your priorities should you be elected?  If elected, my priorities will be rooted in the dedication to service that guided my time in the Army and the fire department. I am big on fiscal responsibility, ensuring our tax dollars are managed with the discipline and transparency our community deserves. I am committed to a budget that prioritizes essential services while respecting the hard-earned contributions of all taxpayers.

Second, I will focus on revitalizing community events that bring us together and honor our heritage. I will advocate for a balanced approach to growth that protects our local traditions and supports the businesses that have been our town’s backbone for generations. My mission is to ensure Kennebunkport remains a thriving, inclusive home where our history is respected as we build our future.

RSU 21 SCHOOL BOARD: 2-YEAR TERM

DIANE FRANZ: unopposed candidate

Tell us a little about yourself. I have worked in school and economic development; in local, state, and national politics; with community volunteer action groups; and in community investment and community impact with a major United Way for 18 years prior to retirement. I moved to Kennebunkport with my husband in 2014.  I am currently participating in a bipartisan committee to bridge communications gaps and serving as a newly elected Board member of the new newspaper, The Local News.     

What is your reason for running? I joined the RSU21 School Board as an appointed Kennebunkport Interim Director for 2023-2024 with the resignation of an elected director. I continued that representation as an appointed Kennebunkport Interim Director for 2024-2025 with the resignation of a second elected director. After running unsuccessfully for the position for 2025-2026, I asked the Kennebunkport Select Board once again to continue my work on the board after the resignation of the third elected director. I believe that my contributions to RSU21 are valued and respected and I would like to serve at the will of the Kennebunkport community as an elected representative for 2026-2027 and 2027-2028.

What are your priorities should you be elected?  My priorities continue to be as they have been since my tenure on the Board:

• Encouraging a strong academic foundation for every student to the best of their ability, along with providing the guidance and supports that are needed for achievement;
• Recognizing parents and legal guardians as a primary contributor to their child’s success, both academically and socially;
• Promoting a strong sense of citizenship and commitment to community and country, with a goal of fostering productive and engaged individuals who can contribute in our changing world;
• Fostering important character qualities including respect, tolerance, collaboration, honesty, hard work , empathy, compassion, respecting the reciprocal rights of others, taking responsibility for actions, the art of listening and the true value of conversation.

RSU 21 SCHOOL BOARD: 3-YEAR TERM

BOB DOMINE: unopposed candidate

Tell us a little about yourself.  My wife, Cynthia, and I moved to Kennebunkport in the spring of 1996. We moved two businesses to the state, which are both alive and well. Our daughters went through the district we now call RSU-21, beginning their trek at Port Consolidated. Both graduated with distinction from KHS.

I hold an MBA from Penn’s Wharton School and am well-equipped to deal with the complexities of RSU-21’s financial and organizational management. I consider myself to be a common-sense independent, having never been party-affiliated.

Previously, I served two terms on the RSU-21 board. During that time, we evaluated the system’s facility infrastructure, ultimately passing the bond that allowed us to modernize and expand KHS, while completing significant renovations to ML Day and Consolidated.

What is your reason for running for this office? After a five-to-seven-year hiatus, the RSU-21 board of school directors is gradually returning to a functional governance body, focusing on the stewardship of our communities’ largest and most complex public organization. I was pleased – and humbled – to be a part of that turn-around over the past year and I would like to see it continue.

What are your priorities should you be elected? Our number one concern ought to be providing the young people of our three towns with the best possible life preparation. Our reason for being is simple – education. On a per-student basis, we spend more than our most outstanding peer districts here in Maine… and our educational results lag behind.

Find out why. Fix it.

We need to “right-size” the RSU-21 organization and make sure it is laser-focused on developing skills, providing our students with cultural literacy, and promoting excellence.  We ought to be supporting excellence in a wide range of ways – from traditional college prep, to traditional vocational ed, to alternative ed.

Culturally and socially… everything boils down to one thing – respect. We need to demand respect for others and encourage self-respect.